The National Hurricane Center predicts a 60 percent chance a cyclone will form off Florida's Atlantic coast by the end of the week.
A disorganized system of rain showers and storms was over Florida and the northern Bahamas on Wednesday. Conditions are expected to encourage the system to strengthen and organize over the coming days, according to the hurricane center.
"A subtropical or tropical cyclone could form by Thursday or Friday, and interests along the southeast coast of the United States should monitor the progress of this system through the weekend," forecasters cautioned.
If a cyclone develops with maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph, it would be named Ana. That would mean the arrival of hurricane season more than three weeks early. The season officially starts June 1.
If a cyclone develops, it could be considered either tropical or subtropical. Tropical storms require warmer water temperatures and can become stronger, while subtropical storms form with colder air and can be more common outside the bounds of the official hurricane season.
The system is forecast to move slowly northward, not affecting the mid-Atlantic until early next week, if at all.