Tropical Storm Nate: How Will It Affect Long Island?

Tropical Storm Nate, expected to strengthen into a hurricane and batter states along the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, will then track northeast toward Long Island, forecasters said Friday. Though it will weaken significantly, the storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall next week.

The National Weather Service warned of "excessive rain ...with the arrival of the remnants of Nate, which would be Monday night into early Tuesday." The forecasters are predicting up to two inches.

AccuWeather's senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said the tapering storm could bring as much as three inches of rainfall.

"Nate is likely to drench Nashville, Atlanta, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and may survive long enough to soak Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston," he said.

Lack of precipitation lately means the ground should be dry enough to easily soak in the water, though flooding concerns are raised because falling leaves may block drains, he said.

Nate is expected to weaken into a tropical depression by the time it approaches Long Island, but there is a 20-30 percent chance of tropical storm-force winds (sustained winds of 39 mph or higher) on the island, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures Saturday and Sunday will remain well above normal. There's a 40 percent chance of showers Sunday, but "there is not much in the way of a heavy rain threat," the NWS says.

The full forecast:

Friday Night- Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind 3 to 7 mph.

Saturday- Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 79. South wind 6 to 13 mph.

Saturday Night- Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 10 to 13 mph.

Sunday- A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly between 9am and 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.

Sunday Night- A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind 8 to 11 mph.

Columbus Day- A 40 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 71.

Monday Night- Showers likely, mainly after 10pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Tuesday- A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.

Tuesday Night- Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Wednesday- Partly sunny, with a high near 70.

Adam Nichols contributed to this report.

Photo: NASA