After walloping Mexico as a hurricane, in a dramatic finale, Willa's remnants will move up the East Coast -- where it could spawn the first nor'easter of the year.
New York and Philadelphia could see heavy rain and strong winds Friday night into Saturday. Some snow is expected for the higher elevations in upstate New York and New England.
The good news: Major cities in the Northeast will probably avoid snow because temperatures are too warm. But inland and mountainous parts of the region might not be so lucky.
"The storm will encounter colder air, which will transform from a tropical area of low pressure to a more wintertime-like storm system," CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said.
"If the low pressure tracks up the East Coast of the US, it could become the season's first nor'easter. This would bring significant amounts of rain and wind Saturday and Sunday in cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston."
"Exact impacts will depend on the particular track the storm takes up the East Coast, and some models take the system farther out to sea, which would minimize the wind and snow/rain amounts," Miller said.
Either way, Miller said, "Willa will have a second life over the United States."
The-CNN-Wire
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