Tropical Depression Three formed this afternoon to the east of Georgia and is expected to slowly drift northward to towards the South Carolina coast.  TD3 has the potential to reach tropical storm strength by tomorrow afternoon and will be the first tropical low-pressure system to make landfall on the United States.  Given the marginally favorable atmospheric environment and the very warm Gulf Stream waters, TD3 will likely become a weak tropical storm.  TD3 is expected to move into the South Carolina coast by early Sunday morning and then lift into central North Carolina by Sunday morning.  Once the storm makes landfall, the circulation will rapidly shift to post-tropical and develop more cold-core characteristics.  This storm is expected to produce one to four inches of rain over eastern South Carolina, central Carolina, and eastern Carolina through Sunday night.

The remnant moisture from TD3 has the potential to produce heavy rainfall in the northern Mid-Atlantic on Monday, predominantly south and southeast of the I-95 corridor.