Tropical Storm Nicole expected to soak the Charlotte region

The remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole arrived in Charlotte with light winds and showers Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for much of the Charlotte region and beyond, including the Piedmont, western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.

When Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall on the coast of Florida late Wednesday, it was briefly upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane.

As the hurricane moves along the coast of Florida, it will reach parts of Georgia and the Carolinas. When Nicole reaches further into the Southeast, it will likely be downgraded to a tropical depression.

In our region, the NWS is expecting heavy rainfall, gusty winds and the potential for isolated tornadoes Thursday night through Friday night. The NWS also released a wind advisory that will be in effect from 7 p.m. Thursday until 7 p.m. Friday.

Current forecasts show the storm could bring between 1-3 inches of rain to the area, enough to cause isolated flash flooding.

For sports fans heading out to the Carolina Panthers’ Thursday night matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the good news is the game is still on. The bad news is moderate winds and rainfall are expected around the 8:15 p.m. kickoff at Bank of America Stadium. There’s a chance of fog in the area during the late night hours.

If you’re traveling through Charlotte Douglas International Airport this weekend, you may want to check your flight status with your airline.

According to the flight tracking site Flight Aware at the time of this article, 61 flights were canceled Thursday along with nine Friday.

For more information on severe weather, head over to www.weather.gov for the latest updates in your area.