(Bloomberg) -- New York City and Washington could be in for some window-rattling thunderstorms and gusty winds later on Friday. 

Tornado watches were posted from Maryland to North Carolina early Friday, indicating the atmosphere was primed for the destructive storms, the National Weather Service said. As the day wears on, that risk will likely roll north into New Jersey, the upper Hudson River Valley and even potentially graze New York City. 

“As the day goes along, we will have a better idea of the risk,” said James Connolly, a weather service meteorologist in Upton, New York on Long Island. 

A storm crossing the Midwest will mix with a ribbon of moist air flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico, providing the main ingredients for showers and storms, Connolly said. Throughout the day, as temperatures rise, that heating will add to instability in the atmosphere. This could provide the push to make some of those storms nasty. 

As the day ends, the threat should drop. Saturday could have some scattered thunderstorms, but Sunday and the Monday Memorial Day holiday will likely be sunny and warm in New York, according to the weather service. 

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