A weather system tracking the Southeast U.S. coastline has officially strengthened this Friday into Tropical Depression 3, according to the National Hurricane Center.

While the system is not expected to impact South Florida, the NEXT Weather team is keeping a close eye on the tropics, especially with the potential for holiday travel disruptions as the storm system continues to develop.

The depression is slowly gaining strength and could become Tropical Storm Chantal by Saturday afternoon. If named, this would be the third storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.

As of Friday, the depression was located just off the Carolina coastline and is expected to drift close to shore through the day Saturday. The National Hurricane Center's forecast cone showed the storm with a possibility to make landfall somewhere along the South Carolina coast this weekend or early next week.

The system is expected to bring very heavy rainfall and gusty winds to parts of the Southeast, including coastal areas of North and South Carolina.

While the storm will likely cause localized flooding and travel issues, the overall impact will be relatively minor.

The NEXT Weather team will continue providing updates as the system evolves.