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Hurricane Helene is tracking toward the Florida Gulf Coast, threatening to strengthen into a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall, but its remnants could push all the way into the Chicago area this weekend.
According to the latest guidance from the National Hurricane Center, Helene is expected to make landfall in Florida on Thursday evening, and could strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds in excess of 130 miles per hour.
The storm is expected to hit the state’s panhandle and then push into Georgia, where it will still likely be a hurricane on Friday morning. It’s expected to slowly push northward, losing strength but remaining a threat because of heavy rain centered around a low-pressure area.
You can track the movement of Hurricane Helene here.
As the storm moves to the north, it is expected to tighten around its central rotation, but could push far enough north to bring bands of rain into the Chicago area on Saturday and even into Sunday, according to forecast models.
Those showers are difficult to forecast as the storm moves north, as bands could spin around the area of low pressure and impact some areas more than others, according to forecast models.
Still, the chance for showers associated with the storm will exist until it pushes toward the east late Sunday and into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
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After it departs, cooler temperatures are expected to take hold, with highs in the 60s early next week.
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