East Coast 'On Alert' For Potential Tropical Depression: See MD Forecast

A tropical depression could soon form in the Atlantic. Meteorologists put the East Coast "on alert" for potential rough seas and rain this weekend.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, the system was located 1,000 miles east of the Windward Islands, the southernmost isles of the Caribbean.

The National Hurricane Center gave the disturbance a 90% chance of forming into a tropical depression within 48 hours.

"Showers and thunderstorms are gradually becoming better organized in association with an area of low pressure," the hurricane center said in its Tuesday forecast. "If these trends continue, advisories will likely be initiated on a tropical depression later today. This system is expected to move quickly west-northwestward across the central tropical Atlantic, and then move near or north of the northern Leeward Islands on Thursday and Friday."

While the system is not expected to make landfall, it could stir up some strong waves in the mid-Atlantic.

On Monday, AccuWeather said it is "putting the East Coast on alert for more tropical coastal impacts, and the potential for heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend."

AccuWeather expects the roughest surf in Maryland from Friday through Sunday. There's a medium risk of outer rain and wind bands clipping the Delmarva Peninsula between Saturday and Monday, AccuWeather said.

AccuWeather thinks prolonged coastal flooding, rip currents and beach erosion are also possible this weekend. The Chesapeake Bay should escape unscathed, as waves are the main risk from the storm slated to remain hundreds of miles offshore.

"While many options remain possible with its future track, the most likely track appears to turn the future storm to the north as it passes near the Caribbean islands," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said. "This would keep it east of the U.S. mainland."

Here is the National Weather Service's seven-day forecast for Ocean City:

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 9 to 15 mph.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 5am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 68. South wind 14 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Showers before 11am, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 11am and 2pm, then showers likely after 2pm. High near 70. Southwest wind 13 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Showers likely before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 56. Breezy, with a north wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy, with a north wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 66.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy.