Nor'easter to bring rain, winds to East Coast: What you need to know about the timing

A major coastal storm is taking shape in the South -- and it's heading to the Northeast soon as the first nor'easter of the season.

Areas of heavy rain are moving across parts of the Southeast Friday afternoon and heading into the mid-Atlantic.

The storm already hit the Gulf Coast and Florida, where as much as 6 inches of rain fell near Daytona Beach on Thursday.

On Friday night the heavy rain will make for a messy evening commute in parts of North Carolina and Virginia, including Raleigh, Richmond and Norfolk.

Overnight the heavy rain will continue to push north, pounding the I-95 corridor.

The storm is expected to reach the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas Friday night and then reach Philadelphia and New York City after midnight.

Gusty winds will be the biggest threat from this storm.

Virginia and Maryland will see the rough winds late Friday night, Philadelphia to New York City will be hit early Saturday morning and New England will see the powerful winds mid-day.

Wind gusts could reach up to 50 mph in Boston and up to 60 mph on Cape Cod.

Rainfall is expected to be between 1 and 2 inches with isolated amounts up to 3 inches.

Flash flood watches are in effect from northeastern New Jersey up to Cape Cod.

As the storm moves north, upstate New York and northern New England may see a combination of snow and rain beginning late Saturday morning.

By early Sunday morning, the storm will be moving out, only leaving the possibility of lingering rain and snow showers in upstate New York and northern New England.