Although it looked like it could reach category 4, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph on Saturday morning, Larry is likely to avoid the Northeast entirely, they said.
That's good news, considering the potential that Larry could surpass Ida as the Atlantic's strongest storm so far this year.
Most of the Labor Day weekend in the Northeast will bring sunshine and low humidity -- with highs mostly in the 70s on Saturday -- as areas flooded by Tropical Storm Ida continued to dry out, said one of area's prominent meteorologists, Joe Cioffi.
That’s followed by the chance for a morning shower and scattered clouds through Sunday as temperatures tick toward 80, Cioffi said. The humidity will be a little higher, "but not unreasonable," he added.
For Labor Day, Cioffi said, “we are looking at a partly to mostly sunny day. Highs will be in the upper 70s and lower 80s, with reasonable humidity. We will hold on to that for Tuesday but we will be transitioning over to a warm and more humid push of air Wednesday ahead of an approaching cold front.”
That cold front not only could bring showers and thunderstorms, Cioffi said -- it will also "make sure that Hurricane Larry isn’t an issue here in the Eastern US as it recurves northward" and continues spinning up the Atlantic Ocean.
It would be welcome news for surfers along Long Island’s south shore and New Jersey’s coast, as the 12th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season passes 500 or so miles to the east, Cioffi said.The downside are rip currents and dangerous boating conditions.
“There is certainly a chance that Larry tracks far enough to the west to pass close to or even over Bermuda, likely as a major hurricane,” AccuWeather meteorologist Randy Adkins. “However, as it currently stands, it appears more likely than not that Larry will still end up far enough to the east to spare Bermuda the brunt of the storm.”
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For the area's most reliable forecasts, follow: WEATHER UPDATES 24/7 BY METEOROLOGIST JOE CIOFFI
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