A large, slowly-spinning system across the northern Caribbean and southern Gulf of Mexico could develop into something serious, forecasters said.

A trough, or elongated area of low pressure, is expected to dig southward across the Midwest and/or Northeast late next week. If this trough is deeper and dips farther south, it will likely grab on to the tropical cyclone and pull to the northeast, possibly toward Florida. However, if the trough is shallower, a more western track appears likelier.

The National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Storm Gordon and a system off the Florida coast has potential for development.