GREENSBORO, NC -- Hurricane Jose is still out in the Atlantic. It won't hit North Carolina directly, but it will make a close pass to the Outer Banks, and beach-goers should take notice.
Jose has had a long life, and it's not close to over just yet. The storm is completing a loop, and will be passing close to North Carolina early next week.
Jose weakened to a tropical storm on Thursday, but re-strengthened to a hurricane on Friday. It will start to turn northward heading into this weekend as it parallels the East Coast of the U.S. as a Category 1 hurricane.
By Sunday night into Monday, the storm won't be all that far off the Carolina coast. The exact track is still a bit in question, but the center of Jose is likely to pass less than 200 miles east of the Outer Banks. It will chug along northward on Tuesday, and could be a close call for New England.
What does it mean for the North Carolina beaches? Strong rip currents will be felt at the beaches beginning this weekend. Large waves will grow in height day by day as well, which could make for dangerous swimming at times.
If the storm tracks close enough, it's possible that gusty winds and rain could be felt along the Outer Banks on Monday, but that's still unclear. A direct landfall is extremely unlikely and is not expected.
