Nicole made landfall near Vero Beach, Florida, early Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane, the third hurricane this November in the Atlantic Basin -- and now the storm, albeit a weakened one, has the New York area in its sights.
An approaching front only complicates matters. The remnants of Nicole, which was downgraded to a will combine with that come Friday, bringing showers to the New York City area by midday before the rain -- and winds -- intensify. Expect at-times torrential downpours into Saturday morning across the tri-state.
Wind gusts could top 50 mph in spots, with the worst weather expected to hit overnight Friday into Saturday. Flash flooding is a concern for most of the tri-state, but especially well north and west of New York City. Minor coastal flooding and erosion are also possible, and there could be a few severe thunderstorms early Saturday morning.
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At this point, a widescale 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected to accumulate through Saturday, though some spots could see up to 3 inches, based on the latest forecasts.
The city activated its flash flood emergency plan ahead of the storm's arrival, requiring various agencies to fan out across the five boroughs to inspect (and clean, if necessary) catch basins at hundreds of flood-prone locations.
This work is already underway -- and all New Yorkers are encouraged to take the same simple debris-clearing step to help prevent flooding. You can also call 311 if you want the city to deal with it for you.
Nicole Eyes Tri-State: What to Expect
Expected Rainfall Totals
Once Nicole -- and that unrelated front -- pass through the tri-state area, colder air dives in and highs will struggle to reach 50 degrees from Sunday through next week. It is November, after all.
The storm was expected to dump up to 8 inches of rain on parts of the Florida peninsula as it walloped the Ian-ravaged state with dangerous waves and storm surge, along with intense rain and wind, according to the National Hurricane Center. NHC downgraded Nicole to a tropical storm early Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30.
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