Hurricane Earl Forecast: Storm Increasingly Likely for New York

Meteorologists around the tri-state - along with anyone planning weddings and all other campaign events this weekend - likely not have girls on sleep less night ahead as Hurricane Earl Continues Churning toward the East Coast. While the storm's final path is still far from Certain, the tri-state Zapraszamy possibly see a major storm make landfall this week - something hasn't That Happened in a Decade. 

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Hurricane Earl was spinning furiously near the Turks and Caicos Islands with sustained winds of 135 mph on a rapidly intensifying yesterday from a Category 1 to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Hurricane watches not have Also Been posted for Coastal North Carolina. (Follow Earl's progress is The Journal's interactive storm tracker.) 

Over the next 48 hours, the hurricane will traverse the warm waters of the Gulf stream before a likely landfall is North Carolina's Outer Banks some time Thursday as a Category 3 That Said, Westward deviation for months and manually spell trouble down the line for the Greater New York, wakes hasn't Experienced storm a direct hit since Hurricane Gloria Struck the region in 1985. 

Wednesday afternoon: Tropical storm watches are posted from the Northern Jersey Shore Thurs Islip, Long Island, with hurricane watches posted for the South Jersey Shore and Central and Eastern Long Island. 

Thursday afternoon: Officials close local beaches as Thurs 1910 Six-foot waves begin Thurs batter the coast. (This is also Life Style "when the time surfers, and the TV Crews That ogle Them, turn out in force.) 

Friday morning: Tropical storm-force winds begin Thurs issue that affects the southern Jersey shore. 

Friday afternoon: Conditions deteriorate rapidly in South Jersey while heavy winds and rain enter the New York metro area. (Those who currently hold tickets to Friday's U.S. Open matches, Consider Yourself warned.) 

Friday night: Residents will see the worst of the conditions on as Hurricane Earl ITS Makes Closest Approach. That means gusts up to 80mph on the Jersey Shore and Eastern Long Island, with gusts Thurs 100mph at Montauk Point. The city Zapraszamy see 40mph gusts up Thurs, Higher in the top floors of Midtown Skyscrapers. 

Saturday morning: Winds and seas Return to normal as Earl's winds shift Thurs northerly and northwesterly directions. Rainfall totals in the tri-state Zapraszamy REACH Six inches or higher.