Nor'Easter To Target VA With Heavy Rain, Coastal Flooding: See Timing

A significant nor'easter is expected to develop in the Atlantic Ocean this week and could bring heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding to much of the East Coast, including parts of Virginia.

The slow-moving storm is brewing off the Atlantic coast and is expected to strengthen and unleash wind, rain and pounding surf late this week into early next week, according to a new AccuWeather forecast.

AccuWeather meteorologists said the tropical wind and rainstorm could evolve into a named tropical storm, but it is likely to closely resemble the powerful nor'easters that strengthen along the coastline during the winter months, only without the snow.

"This will be a damaging storm for some along the Atlantic coast," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "The storm will form just off the Georgia coast late this week and move northward this weekend to next week. As the storm drifts to the north, it will grow stronger each day."

The storm is expected to move into the mid-Atlantic states, including Virginia, late Saturday into Sunday, according to forecasters.

According to The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, clouds will begin to spread over the area on Saturday afternoon. Showers are unlikely during the day, but could move in from the southeast overnight.

"The forecast on Sunday is still a work in progress depending on how far up the coast the storm gets and how strong it becomes," Capital Weather Gang forecasters said. "For now, clouds should dominate and showers through the day are looking more likely."

This system could drop 1-2 inches of rain on Northern Virginia over the next seven days, according to a CNN Weather forecast. Winds will also gust up to 30-35 mph, but could reach 50-60 mph in coastal areas of the state.

The Virginia coast could also see up to 4 inches of soaking rain, tides ranging from 1-3 feet above normal and possible storm surge of 6 feet, Accuweather forecasters said.

As a result of the impending storm, AccuWeather forecasters have categorized this system as a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes, though the storm is likely not to be officially named by the government.

In this case, AccuWeather forecasters believe the storm will be the equivalent of a hurricane.

"Prolonged coastal flooding is the primary risk, which could be significant in some areas. Several inches of rain, gusty winds, and beach erosion can also occur regardless of tropical development,” said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert.

Should the storm's intensity escalate and this storm is officially named by the National Hurricane Center, it would be designated as Karen, the next name on the 2025 Atlantic list.

Here's a look at the detailed National Weather Service forecast for Northern Virginia through this weekend:

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 65. Northeast wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Northeast wind 7 to 9 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 7 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph.

Saturday: A chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind 7 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 60%.