Tropical Storm Dolly has formed over the central tropical Atlantic, located about 1,555 miles east of the Leeward Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and moving west at a quick 24 mph.

Dolly is expected to hold near current strength for the next 48 hours before degenerating into a tropical wave before reaching the islands, but interests in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola should keep an eye on it as heavy rain and potential flash flooding remain concerns this weekend into early next week. The next advisory is due at 5 PM AST.

The National Hurricane Center has bumped formation odds up significantly for a disturbance in the central tropical Atlantic, now giving it a 90 percent chance of development in both the 48-hour and 7-day windows, up from 60 percent yesterday evening.

The system has become better organized overnight, and the NHC says a short-lived tropical storm could form later today. That said, hostile conditions are expected to move in by Friday, which would likely shut down any further development after that.

Dense fog is blanketing portions of Middle Tennessee this morning, dropping visibility to a quarter mile or less across Perry, Grainger, Greene, Knox, Hamilton, Rutherford, and surrounding counties. Those low-visibility conditions are making for some very dangerous driving on area roads, so give yourself extra time and extra space if you are heading out this morning.