Tropical Storm Nicole Remnants To Bring Heavy Rain, Strong Winds To VA

VIRGINIA — The remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole are expected to bring heavy and widespread rainfall, as well as strong winds and a possible tornado, across Virginia and the D.C. area on Friday, forecasters said.

Downpours and gusty winds are expected as the day goes on. A few severe storms with damaging wind gusts — and a tornado — are possible Friday afternoon and evening, according to forecasters.

"The remnants of Nicole will merge with a cold front, affecting the area through tonight," the NWS said Friday morning. "A secondary front will move through Saturday night. Strong Canadian high pressure will gradually build toward the area Sunday and Monday."

As of late Friday morning, a tornado watch had been issued for portions of central Virginia through 3 p.m.

"Windy and stormy," forecasters at the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang reported Friday. "Several waves of showers, downpours and thunderstorms are likely."

More downpours and thunderstorms are possible Friday night. "We continue to have to monitor the twin threats of patchy flooding and possibly a few weak tornadoes, although the risk of the latter wanes a bit with sunset," the Capital Weather Gang said.

Nicole made landfall early Thursday morning as a category 1 hurricane near Vero Beach, Florida, with winds of 75 miles per hour. Nicole is now the fourth-strongest storm to ever make U.S. landfall during the month of November. Nicole was later downgraded to a tropical depression.

After reaching the D.C. area for the Friday morning rush hour, Nicole will continue to advance northeastward through Friday night, AccuWeather forecasters said.

Heavy rain is expected in Northern Virginia, but the heaviest totals will likely be seen in the western parts of Virginia, where rainfall could total 4 inches. Pockets of more than 4 inches of rain are possible in the mountainous terrain of Virginia, according to AccuWeather.

By later in the day, winds will increase, helping to hold temperatures around 70 degrees all the way past midnight, NBC4 meteorologist Chuck Bell said.

After the heavy rain ends, Saturday will start off with mild temperatures in the low 60s, but temperatures will begin to fall throughout the day and end up in the mid 50s by afternoon and 40s at night, WUSA9 reported.

By the end of the weekend, freezing temperatures are possible Sunday night across the D.C. area, according to the NWS.

Here's the NWS forecast for the close-in suburbs of D.C. for the next few days:

Friday: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Patchy fog. High near 70. Southeast wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Friday night: Showers and thunderstorms before 3 a.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., then a chance of showers after 4 a.m. Patchy fog between midnight and 4am. Low around 61. Southeast wind 15 to 17 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Saturday night: A chance of showers, mainly between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers before 8 a.m. Sunny, with a high near 48. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Sunday night: Clear, with a low around 33.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 47.