According to meteorologists, the path of Tropical Storm Noel had shifted enough to the west late Monday that forecasters may issue a tropical storm watch today for South Florida.
Regardless of whether the storm's path continues to move west toward Florida, meteorologists say.
South Florida trick or treaters should anticipate a wet and windy Halloween on Wednesday. It all depends on how far a cold front to the north of us swings down to South Florida.
At 11 p.m. Monday, the storm was about 300 miles south-southeast of Nassau, and was moving northwest at 13 mph. Maximum winds were 50 mph.
Noel, a late arrival to the hurricane season stage, doused Hispaniola with as much as 20 inches of rain Monday, and then was poised to cross over the Bahamas today.
The storm could dump as much as 15 inches on the central and southeastern Bahamas, forecasters said.
Florida could be in a better position since the most severe weather is on the storm's eastern portion, said Michelle Mainelli, hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters say conditions aren't favorable for Noel, which weakened as it traversed the mountains of Hispaniola, to grow into a hurricane.
High-level wind shear, which inhibits storms from developing, will be present along Noel's expected path through the Bahamas.
The storm center's forecast track shows Noel veering off to the right, or northeast, after crossing the Bahamas.