Hurricane Matthew: Track Shift is Good News For Long Island

Hurricane Matthew's long-term forecast may keep the storm away from Long Island, as new projections show the storm heading out to sea this weekend after running up the Florida and Georgia coast through Friday. The storm is still expected to be a major hurricane as it approaches Florida, potentially causing severe damage to the Sunshine State.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the storm was about 45 miles east-northeast of Cabo Lucrecia, Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to move through the Bahamas on Thursday.

Some restrengthening of the storm is possible, with tropical storm conditions reaching Florida by early Thursday. Hurricane conditions — with up to 130 mph winds — will likely be felt later Thursday as the storm gets close to the Florida shore.

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On Long Island, a hazardous weather outlook remains in effect.

"While trends in the forecast point to a lower probability of the area being impacted by Hurricane Matthew, it remains prudent to stay on top of the latest forecast," the outlook issued by the National Weather Service says.

The current forecast for the weekend on Long Island calls for a 30 percent chance of showers on Saturday and Sunday. That's a whole lot better than the tropical storm conditions that were being predicted for the region just 12 hours ago.

Reporting by Patch Staff