Tropical Depression Eight May Threaten North Carolina Coastline In The Coming Days! (credit: NWS National Hurricane Center)

DISCUSSION: The National Hurricane Center (NHC/NOAA) in Miami, FL, has recently upgraded a tropical disturbance over the far western Atlantic Ocean to a Tropical Depression. This system has slowly been organizing over the warm waters of the south-to-north running Gulf Stream current which has fostered the development of vigorous storm growth. The visible satellite image below (a picture of the clouds from space) shows the wispy high clouds associated with the tops of the aforementioned thunderstorms. You can also note a swirl in the lower level clouds to the southeast of the wispy clouds, denoting the center of this tropical entity. 
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     Over the coming days, this system will work its way west-northwestward, and then turn northward. As this occurs, some strengthening is possible and a tropical storm may form eventually. While the center of the storm is unlikely to directly affect the Eastern Seaboard, the outer impacts from the storm may be felt along the SC/NC/VA beaches with higher-than-normal wave activity, scattered showers/thunderstorms, and some minor beach erosion. The forecasted track from the NHC is located in the second image below. People living along the coastlines of SC, NC, and VA, should continue to monitor this situation closely as adverse tropical weather may affect these regions in the coming days. More updates on this and other high-impacts weather events across North America can be monitored by clicking here!

@Meteorologist Jake Mulholland