Nor'easter on way; could affect Sea Witch Festival, Halloween events

Remnants of Hurricane Willa could move into southern Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland this weekend, possibly affecting local Halloween-themed events.

Hurricane Willa made landfall in Mexico on Tuesday night and then quickly weakened into a tropical storm. Residual weather from Willa will travel up the East Coast and develop into a coastal low, or nor'easter, said Trent Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Mount Holly, New Jersey, office.

UPDATE:Up to 2 inches of rain, flooding, wind possible for Delmarva over weekend

Weekend weather forecast for Sussex County

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected for Sussex County late Friday going into Saturday, but it is possible the nor'easter could miss the area, Davis said.

As of Wednesday morning, wind gusts of 20-25 miles per hour were expected for Friday and Saturday. The rainfall accumulation is estimated to be less than an inch, but some areas could receive more. Flooding is not anticipated to be an issue this weekend, Davis said.

While the temperatures will dip slightly, it doesn't look like it will be cold enough to snow this weekend, Davis said. Friday will see a high of 58 degrees and a low in the upper-40s at night. Saturday will be a little warmer with a high of 60 and a low in the 40s. But on Sunday the temperatures will drop to the mid-50s.

Weather forecast for the Eastern Shore

Wicomico and Worcester counties are expected to see similar weather conditions to its Delaware neighbors, Davis said.

The rainfall over the weekend could be slightly more for Salisbury and Ocean City, with a predicted accumulation of about 1-2 inches. Some areas may see more rain, though, Davis said.

"On Saturday morning, there could be some minor coastal flooding with the residual high tide," Davis said. "Areas more prone to flooding could see some issues."

Winds will be stronger closer to the coast and there is the potential for some good gusts in the area, Davis said.

Friday will be the coldest with a high of 57 degrees, but Saturday and Sunday will warm up slightly to the low 60s. There is a small chance of showers on Sunday, but the forecast is looking more positive toward the end of the weekend, Davis said.

Sea Witch Festival and other events might be canceled?

With a nor'easter anticipated to bring bad weather, organizers of the Sea Witch Festival in Rehoboth Beach are preparing to adjust the planned activities.

But weather-related decisions regarding the Sea Witch costume parade won't be made until late Friday night or early Saturday morning, according to a Facebook post from the Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center.

UPDATE:Up to 2 inches of rain, flooding, wind possible for Delmarva over weekend

Sea Witch Festival:5 things to know about the Rehoboth Beach classic

In the event the costume parade on Saturday is canceled due to weather, it will not be rescheduled, according to the Facebook post. Costume photos will be submitted via email for judging and awards.

Some activities for the Sea Witch Festival will continue as planned, rain or shine, per the Facebook post. Updates regarding the festival will be communicated on social media.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the OCtoberfest event in Ocean City will still happen as planned this Saturday, according to a Facebook post from ShoreCraftBeer.com. But at noon on Thursday, the event coordinators will make the final decision depending on what the weather forecast looks like. If Saturday has bad weather, OCtoberfest will be rescheduled for Sunday.

The Ocean Pines Association, which is hosting a Halloween Fall Festival this weekend, is watching the weather forecast as well.

Since the Halloween Fall Festival is a big event, not all of the carnival games can be moved inside, so if the weather is bad, the whole event will be canceled, said Denise Sawyer, marketing and public relations director of the Ocean Pines Association.

Ocean Pines officials will make the call of whether or not to cancel on Friday morning, Sawyer said. If the Halloween Fall Festival is canceled, free candy will still be available for families to pick up on Halloween night in the Community Center.

The Pemberton Park Pumpkin Tour has already been canceled due to the weekend's weather forecast, according to a release from the Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism. The pumpkin tour in Salisbury was originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 26.

The Westside Schools Parent Teacher Association announced its Trunk or Treat event had to be canceled as well due to the weather, according to a Facebook post from the PTA. Monetary donations given this year will be used for next year's event.

How to prepare your home

As the temperatures get colder, it's important to keep your home properly insulated to protect against harsh weather conditions.

Workers at Rommel's Ace Home Center in Salisbury have seen many customers coming in to prepare for the fall and winter seasons. Kelly Byrnes, the store's general manager, said a lot of this preparation is focused on making sure homes are properly insulated.

"The cold hits quickly, so we've seen a lot of people buying space heaters and wooden pallets," Byrnes said.

She added that more people are getting their winter maintenance done faster than in previous years.

Customers are also coming into the store to get supplies and tools to cover up old windows with film kits or clean out their gutters, Byrnes said.

Overall, though, Rommel's customers don't seem to be too concerned about the impending nor'easter, Byrnes said.

"Nor'easters, we get those all the time. It's par for the course," Byrnes said. "More customers tend to come in ahead of hurricanes and snow storms."

Contact reporter Sara Swann at (302) 324-7711, sswann@delmarvanow.com or on Twitter @saramswann.

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