Will Tropical Storm Ian Hit NJ? Latest Forecast, Timeline

NEW JERSEY — Hurricane Ian, which is now Tropical Storm Ian, could impact New Jersey by Friday, according to weather officials. And it could bring waves of rain into next week.

Ian has ravaged Florida since making landfall Wednesday, bringing storm surge, torrential rain and 2.6 million power outages to the Sunshine State. Puerto Rico, meanwhile, still has about 240,000 outages from Hurricane Fiona as of Thursday morning — more than a week after the storm hit.

Catch up on the latest on Hurricane Ian's impacts.

Overall, the storm could bring 1-4 inches of rain in New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expect the heaviest rain to fall south and east of the Interstate 95 corridor.

Periods of rain will continue throughout the weekend, with the strongest winds along the coast Sunday, according to weather officials. Wind gusts could reach 40-45 mph, the National Weather Service says.

"The prolonged strong east winds will allow for piling of waters along the coast," said the agency's Mount Holly office. "Combined with heavy rain, minor coastal flooding is possible around the times of high tide starting on Saturday, but the peak will occur on Sunday."

Forecasters expect Ian to diminish into a tropical depression Friday night, with the remnant low finally leaving the region Wednesday. But much will depend on the storm's path in the coming days.

The National Weather Service projects the state's greatest rainfall this weekend on the southern Jersey Shore, with 2-3 inches of precipitation. Parts of North Jersey may only get a fraction of an inch through Sunday.

But the storm remains intense Thursday and will continue to spread flooding rain, coastal impacts and potentially damaging winds with another landfall in the Southeast increasingly likely, according to AccuWeather. Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas declared states of emergency before Ian's arrival.

Forecasters expect Ian to quickly lose wind intensity into Thursday. But AccuWeather cautions that Ian's center appears more likely to move all the way across the Florida Peninsula and emerge over the Atlantic Ocean on Friday.

If that occurs, Ian may drift off the coast of northeastern Florida before turning back and moving inland. Depending on how long Ian spins over the Atlantic, the storm could regain wind intensity before heading toward Georgia and South Carolina, AccuWeather says. But Ian's impact on New Jersey will depend on the storm's trajectory through the weekend, according to the website.

"There will be a lot of dry air in the region prior to Ian's arrival," says AccuWeather, "and it's possible this could minimize the amount of rain the area receives or even steer Ian off the Mid-Atlantic coast."

Here's the National Weather Service's latest North Jersey forecast:

• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. North wind 10 to 13 mph.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. North wind around 8 mph.
• Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Northeast wind around 8 mph.
• Friday night: A 30 percent chance of rain after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Northeast wind around 7 mph.
• Saturday: Rain likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 60. Northeast wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Saturday night: Rain likely, mainly before 2 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 55. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Sunday: A chance of rain before 8 a.m., then a chance of showers after 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
• Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 63.
• Monday night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49.
• Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 64.
• Tuesday night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

Here's the agency's latest South Jersey forecast:

• Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind around 15 mph.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
• Friday: A slight chance of showers after 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Breezy, with a northeast wind around 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
• Friday night: Showers likely, mainly after 5 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 61. Breezy, with a northeast wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 a.m. High near 67. Breezy, with an east wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
• Saturday night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 11 p.m., then showers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 a.m. Patchy fog. Low around 60. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Sunday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
• Sunday night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 58. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
• Monday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
• Monday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
• Tuesday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
• Tuesday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.