Hurricane Matthew's New England Impact

Hurricane Matthew is hundreds of miles and days away, picking up speed through the Caribbean Sea. But computer models suggest New Englanders have reason to keep an eye on the storm, which late Friday night became the first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic Basin since Felix nine years ago.

Matthew weakened slightly in the overnight hours, becoming a Category 4 storm once again by Saturday morning. Still packing maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, Matthew remained on the cusp of Category 5 status and is anticipated to “remain a powerful hurricane through Monday,” according to the National Hurricane Center.

The hurricane has a ways to go before a potential date with us New Englanders, but we aren't completely clear of it.

"Uncertainty remains high for Matthew’s exact track but several computer models are showing Matthew tracking dangerously close to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by the end of next week into the weekend," wrote meteorologist Aaron Perry of NECN.

According to Perry, it is expected to shift northwest past Jamaica and Eastern Cuba before emerging east of the Southeast by Thursday.

Matthew's impact along the East Coast up to New England is still unknown, Perry says, but forecasters are suggesting an eye be kept on the storm's developments.

Hurricane Matthew’s formation comes at the peak of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Forecasters at the hurricane center say the eight-week period that begins in mid-August and runs through mid-October is a “season within the season.” This eight-week period “is often the most active and dangerous time for tropical cyclone activity,” NOAA explained on its website.

The eight-week period is historically responsible for major spikes in tropical weather activity, NOAA said. In fact, it accounts for about 78 percent of all tropical storm days on record. It is also the period when 87 percent of the category 1 and 2 hurricane days on record occurred. In addition, this period is responsible for “a whopping 96 percent of the major (category 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days.”

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation, read these related Patch stories:

• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s Peak is Now
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?

Image courtesy of the NOAA

Sherri Lonon, Patch Staff, contributed to this report