As the remnants of Hurricane Nicole move north, the worst weather will sidestep Delaware, but today’s forecast in the First State still includes, rain, gusty winds and the chance of a thunderstorm.
The rain estimates for today have been downgraded since Wednesday, said Matt Brudy, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mt. Holly, New Jersey.
“The storm has taken a shift further west,” said Brudy.
Instead of the initial prediction of 1 to 2 inches of rain, now the forecast is for about a half-inch in most of the state, with more in northern Delaware, three-quarters to 1 inch.
The winds may still be gusting up to 30 to 35 mph, Brudy said.
More:After pounding Florida, a weakening Nicole threatens Southeast with heavy rain, tornadoes
The biggest threat in Delaware is the possibility of thunderstorms which could bring more rain, stronger winds and even a tornado, but Brudy said the risk of severe storms is “marginal, 1 out of 5.”
As for the timing, Brudy said the heaviest rain and winds will be Friday afternoon and evening.
“It does look like the rain will diminish late tonight and we’ll get a little break, but then Saturday early morning, about 2 to 3 a.m., we’ll get another shot,” Brudy said. “Then we will dry out pretty quickly.”
The strongest chance for a thunderstorm will be mid-to-late evening and the early overnight hours, closer to midnight, he said.
Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.
