It now appears likely that the first tropical system of 2018 will form just before the official start of this year's hurricane season.  The Atlantic hurricane season starts each year on June 1.  

An area of showers and storms near Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is becoming better organized Thursday.  As the disturbance moves into the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple of days, conditions are favorable for it to become a tropical depression or tropical storm.  If it becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Alberto.  As of Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center says there is an 80% chance for tropical development in the Gulf by the holiday weekend.

Even if the system does not officially become a tropical storm, it will still spread rainy weather over much of the southeastern United States.   Initially, some of the heaviest rain would fall near the Gulf coast from near Mississippi to Florida.  As the tropical moisture gets pulled northward, rain chances would increase through the Memorial Day weekend in the Carolinas.

At this point, only scattered thunderstorms are expected in North Carolina Saturday afternoon.   The showers and storms will be more widespread from late Sunday through the day Monday.  

With tropical moisture lingering around the region, scattered storms will be possible each day through at least the first half of next week.

Most of North Carolina should see at least two to four inches of rain from the weekend through early next week.  Locally higher amounts are possible.

Stay tuned to Weather on the 1s on Spectrum News for updates.