NORTH CAROLINA -- Tropical Storm Nate strengthened to Hurricane Nate late Friday night. 

While some additional strengthening is expected as Nate races across the central Gulf of Mexico. It will likely become a category 2 hurricane before making landfall along the Gulf Coast late Saturday night.

The National Hurricane Center's forecast track projects Nate making landfall sometime around midnight anywhere between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama.

Thereafter, Nate will weaken to a tropical storm as it moves north and eventually northeast, moving quickly towards the Tennessee Valley.

What remains of Nate will pass west Sunday night into Monday. 

While the mountains and foothills of North Carolina could see several inches of rain because of Nate, central and eastern NC may only see 1 to 2" of rainfall by late Tuesday. 

Less than an inch of rainfall is expected at the coast.