Powerful Hurricane Sam is expected to stay at sea, but swells from it could reach the Atlantic beaches in time for the weekend.

Hurricane Sam reached category 4 status late Saturday afternoon. It is the fourth Atlantic hurricane to achieve major hurricane status in 2021.

Sam rapidly intensified overnight and is forecast to become a major hurricane over the weekend. While models suggests Sam may stay out to sea, it is still too soon to credibly predict whether there will be impacts to Florida.

Tropical Depression Eighteen formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean Wednesday afternoon and is likely to become a long-lived hurricane. It is not possible yet to be confident this storm will turn out to sea like Peter and Rose, or Hurricane Larry before it.

Floridians usually have to wait much longer than the first day of autumn for that "fall feel" in the air. That won't be the case this year for those living north of I-4, as a noticeable cold front surges in.

The Tropical Atlantic has had no shortage of tropical storms in recent days.

Two days of heavy rain prompted flood watches and warnings across the northern third of Florida this weekend. That heavy rain risk will shift south this week, while the tropics stay active but non-threatening.

The remnant of what was once Hurricane Nicholas has dissipated over Louisiana, but the moisture out ahead of it remains and will contribute to wet conditions over a large portion of the state this weekend.