Models show Maria likely to miss U.S. East Coast

Florida, still in recovery mode from Irma’s carnage, should be spared the wrath of Hurricane Maria, and the storm may end up following Jose’s path to avoid a direct hit on the East Coast.

Forecasters predict Maria, a major hurricane that has been fluctuating between Category 4 and Category 5 strength, will spin north and then east before it would threaten the East Coast with rain and heavy surf early next week, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Rob Miller said.

It is still too early to determine its exact path off the East Coast, but signs are promising Maria could avoid a U.S. landfall, Miller said.

“It seems at this point that the most likely track for Maria would be similar to Jose, staying off the coast but maybe close enough to clip the Outer Banks, maybe New England,” he said.

Hurricane Jose, which continued to spin just south of New England on Tuesday, could even help guide Maria away from the U.S. Jose is forecast to help weaken a large ridge of high pressure currently parked over the the eastern U.S., according to Weather Underground meteorologist Bob Henson.

Had it not been for Jose, the high-pressure area would have become a single solid, sprawling ridge, which could have guided Maria west on a track like Irma’s.