Hurricane Ian's Impact On PA: Timing For Wind Gusts, Torrential Rain

EASTERN PA — The most talked about destructive weather system in at least a year could reach the greater Philadelphia area overnight, as Hurricane Ian makes its way from the Gulf of Mexico along the Atlantic seaboard. Cooler weather, steady rain, and strong wind gusts could cause power outages, flooding, and make for generally "miserable" conditions in parts of the region for days, AccuWeather predicts.

Just shy of a category 5 storm (the most destructive level of hurricane) when it made landfall, Ian devastated much of Florida this week, causing millions of power outages and ripping down structures with powerful wind gusts. It swept over South Carolina on Friday, and though it has now weakened to a Tropical Storm, it will make itself felt for hundreds of miles.

Saturday appears to be the day with the strongest impacts in the Philadelphia region, the current forecast says. The first impacts could be felt locally by around 5 a.m. Saturday morning, with rain and a potential for thunderstorms.

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

Some three quarters of an inch of rain is predicted to fall overnight, with another three quarters Saturday, a half inch Saturday night, and a quarter inch Sunday, the National Weather Service said.

"Most of the wind energy from Ian will dissipate as Ian pushes a couple hundred miles inland from the Carolina coast," AccuWeather said. "However, pockets of gusty winds capable of knocking down trees and triggering sporadic power outages can occur as far inland as West Virginia and as far to the north along the coast as New Jersey and Long Island, New York, due to interaction with an old frontal zone."

Here's the full forecast, according to the National Weather Service:

Friday

Cloudy, with a high near 68. Northeast wind around 10 mph.

Friday night

Rain, with thunderstorms also possible after 5am. Low around 56. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday

Rain and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 5pm, then a chance of rain and thunderstorms after 5pm. High near 62. Northeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday night

A chance of rain and thunderstorms, then rain likely after 8pm. Cloudy, with a low around 56. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday

Rain likely, mainly after 8am. Cloudy, with a high near 61. Northeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Sunday night

A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday

A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday night

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Chance of precipitation is 40%.