The National Hurricane Center thinks a tropical depression could form in the Gulf in a few days. Forecasters continued to track an area of low pressure that was in the western Atlantic Ocean just east of the Florida peninsula on Tuesday. It is expected to move westward, across the Sunshine State, and into the Gulf by Wednesday.

There could be trouble in the tropics as an area of low pressure off the east coast of Florida becomes an area of interest for tropical development this week.

But the National Hurricane Center said its chance of formation was growing: Forecasters on Tuesday gave the disturbance a 40 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression by Thursday. The National Weather Service in Slidell also heightened its forecast: The agency said the risk of excessive rain had increased for Friday.