Former Hurricane Willa could become season's first nor'easter

Oct. 26 (UPI) -- From Category 5 hurricane to tropical storm to nor'easter, Willa refuses to go away.

The remnants of Willa are dumping rain in the mid-Atlantic states and meteorologists say the precipitation could convert to snow in the higher elevations of upstate New York and New England this weekend.

Boston, Philadelphia and New York City will see heavy rain and strong winds.

Some forecast models have the storm going north up the East Coast while others have it going out to the Atlantic Ocean.

Willa made landfall as a hurricane on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, 2,000 miles from New York City on Tuesday. While still at sea, the storm briefly reached Category 5 strength. Willa also gathered strength from the remnants of Tropical Storm Vicente.

Willa made landfall in Escuinapa in southern Sinaloa where the Baluarte River went over its banks, flooding homes and affecting 20,000 people.

The storm affected more than 33,000 people in Mexico.

The storm weakened to a tropical depression as it passed over central Mexico.

Then, Willa's remnants then moved into Texas, where it dumped more rain on already saturated ground. It then moved into the Southern states before heading north.