"The possibility of intensification to a tropical storm or even a low-end hurricane is real."

If the depression's winds reach 39 mph, it would become Tropical Storm Barry.

Up to 10 to as much as 15 inches of rain is possible.

The second storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season appears likely to form over the next couple of days.

"This system has the potential to become a dangerous hurricane," the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, Louisiana, said on its Facebook page. "The threat for damaging winds and deadly storm surge is increasing."

The National Hurricane Center said Tuesday that there's an 80% chance a tropical depression will form this week in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone forms, this system has the potential to produce heavy rainfall along portions of the northern and eastern U.S. Gulf Coast later this week," the hurricane center said in its 8 a.m. advisory.

If the depression's winds reach 39 mph, it would become Tropical Storm Barry.

"The possibility of intensification to a tropical storm or even a low-end hurricane is real, particularly for the western Gulf Coast," according to meteorologist Ryan Truchulet of Weather Tiger.

At first, development of the system will be slow, AccuWeather said. However, if the system remains offshore, it could gain strength at a fast pace and drift toward the central and western Gulf of Mexico this weekend.

"There are a number of petroleum rigs and refineries along the central and western Gulf Coast, and there may be considerable risk if this storm ramps up, develops to its full potential and travels in that direction," AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Rain, and lots of it, appears likely to be the main threat from the storm.

"Heavy rain is possible from the upper Texas coast to southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and parts of the Florida Panhandle," the Weather Channel said.

Up to 10 to as much as 15 inches of rain is possible, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

As of the latest model runs midday Tuesday, there is "growing consensus that Barry will develop in 36-48 hours and then slowly track westward thru northern Gulf," tweeted BAM Weather meteorologist Ryan Maue. "Landfall possible from far Northeast Texas to Louisiana by Saturday."

The storm could also produce "wind and storm surge impacts later this week or this weekend from Louisiana to the Upper Texas coast," the hurricane center warned.

Tropical systems are occasional visitors to the U.S. in July: The most recent July hurricane to hit the continental U.S. was Hurricane Arthur in North Carolina in 2014, according to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach.

"The most recent July tropical storm landfall was Tropical Storm Emily in Florida in 2017," he said.

The strongest recent storm to make landfall in the United States in July was Hurricane Dennis, which hit the western Florida Panhandle on July 10, 2005, as a Category 3 hurricane, the Weather Channel said.

Contributing: The Tallahassee Democrat