The first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to make landfall late Friday.
Hurricane Isaias is projected to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast late Friday, bringing a life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and flooding rain, according to USA TODAY. The National Hurricane Center said Thursday morning that the storm is continuing to intensify and could have winds exceeding 100 mph as it approaches the U.S.
While the worst impacts are expected along the Gulf Coast, rain from the system could spread into the Ohio Valley this weekend.
The forecast raises a key question for Greater Cincinnati: Could the remnants of Hurricane Isaias affect the Blink festival? The art, light and projection-mapping festival is taking
over downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky from Oct. 8-11 as the storm will likely make its way across the country.
Here's what to know.
Where and when will Hurricane Isaias hit?
The hurricane center said Isaias is expected to pass north of the Yucatan Peninsula late Thursday and make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast, somewhere between Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Panama City Beach, Florida, on Friday evening.
Isaias could have winds of over 100 mph by Friday as it approaches, according to the center's hurricane specialists. It's forecast to peak before making landfall, but could still be a "significant" hurricane when it reaches the coast, with strong winds and flooding rain, the hurricane center said.
Will Hurricane Isaias impact Ohio?
According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, remnants of Hurricane Isaias are expected to move across the Ohio Valley late Saturday into Sunday.
Rain is expected to reach the region Saturday evening and continue overnight into Sunday. Widespread rainfall is forecast throughout the day Sunday before tapering off Sunday night. Breezy conditions are also expected, with wind gusts of up to 40 mph from Saturday evening through Sunday.
Will Hurricane Isaias impact Greater Cincinnati?
According to USA TODAY's storm tracker's cone, Cincinnati is not currently in the projected path of Isaias, but remnants from the hurricane are still slated to impact the area later this weekend.
Blink Cincinnati 2026 weather policy
Blink Cincinnati organizers said they are working closely with safety and weather officials to determine whether operational changes will be needed if severe weather, including lightning, extreme heat or high winds, affects the festival.
Any updates will be communicated on-site to staff, participants, volunteers and attendees. Festivalgoers can also monitor local media, Blink's social media channels and the festival website for the latest information.
Attendees can sign up for public safety and traffic alerts by texting BLINK2026 to 77295 to connect with Cincy Alert.
Hurricane Isaias path tracker
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
When is Atlantic Hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
The season's peak is Sept. 10, and the most activity happens from mid-August to mid-October, per the Hurricane Center.
Cincinnati weekend weather forecast
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday night: Clear, with a low of around 51. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light southeast wind.
Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low of around 58. Southeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday night: A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 a.m. Low of around 60. The chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch is possible.
Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 69. The chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday night: A chance of showers before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low of around 60. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, Jeanine Santucci, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will Hurricane Isaias affect Cincinnati weather during Blink weekend?
