GRAY — It's still too early to tell with a modicum of certainty what Hurricane Sandy has in store for the Midcoast, but with national weather forecasters on high alert and a fairly decent weekend weather-wise ahead, residents have time to get prepared.

And if Sandy ultimately peters out, those who put away the last of the deck furniture and bring in a good load of wood to keep dry will be one step ahead of Old Man Winter should he pick up the slack and follow close on her heels.

Right now, all eyes are looking south, where the National Weather Service is saying Sandy is currently (as of 5 p.m. Thursday) near Cat Island in the central Bahamas. It is 60 miles southeast of Eleuthera in the Bahamas and 125 miles east-southeast of Nassau, Bahamas.

The Category Two hurricane's maximum sustained winds are 105 mph, moving north at 20 mph. Some weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, according to the NWS, but Sandy is expected to remain a hurricane into the weekend.

A hurricane warning is currently in effect for Ragged Islands in the southeastern Bahamas, the central Bahamas and northwestern Bahamas.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Florida's east coast from Ocean Reef to Flagler Beach, Lake Okeechobee and the remainder of the southern Bahamas.

Florida's east coast, from north of Flagler Beach to Fernandina Beach, Florida's Upper Keys from Ocean Reef to Craig Key, and the Florida Bay are under a tropical storm watch.

A turn toward the northwest and a decrease in forward speed are expected Thursday night and Friday, followed by a turn back toward the north and north-east Friday night and Saturday.

The National Weather Serivce is urging the entire East Coast of the United States to monitor the progress of Sandy.

Sandy's winds extend outward up to 35 miles from its center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. Sandy is also expected to grow larger in size during the next couple of days.

Rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches are expected across Haiti and the Dominican Republic overnight, with isolated maximum amount of 20 inches possible. Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches are expected across portions of the Bahamas, with isolated maximum amount of 12 inches possible.

Following is the forecast through Monday night, as of Thursday night.

Thursday night – Partly cloudy, with a low around 38 F. Calm wind.
Friday – Partly sunny, with a high near 59 F. Light and variable wind.
Friday night – Partly cloudy, with a low around 44 F. Calm wind.
Saturday – Partly sunny, with a high near 58 F. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Saturday night – A chance of showers, mainly after 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42 F. East wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Sunday – A chance of showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56 F. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Sunday night – A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 45 F. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Monday – A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 57 F. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Monday night – Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 47 F. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

For more information, visit NOAA: Hurricane Sandy and NOAA: National Weather Service.

To listen to live NOAA Weather Radio, visit wunderground.com.

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached by email at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or by calling 207-706-6655.