Mexico City - Hurricane Nora (click here) formed in the eastern Pacific on Saturday and was brushing the coast of Mexico's Jalisco state as it approached the Puerto Vallarta area, ahead of a possible close encounter with resorts at the tip of Baja California Peninsula.
Nora had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) late Saturday afternoon, with tropical storm force winds extending out 160 miles (260 kilometers) in some places.
The storm's large wind field and heavy rains meant much of Mexico's central and northern Pacific Coast could see flooding, mudslides and perilous surf even if it missed the very heart of the hurricane.
The weakened remnants might even bring rains next week to the U.S. Southwest, the Great Basin and Central Rockies, forecasters said....