What's next for Hurricane Sandy? October 27, 2012 -- Updated 0203 GMT (1003 HKT) Exactly when and where the storm will hit is unclear Sandy is expected to weaken to a tropical storm, then strengthen It will move slowly, unleashing strong winds and heavy rains (CNN) -- Slowly but surely, Hurricane Sandy is making its way toward the U.S. East Coast. Exactly when and where it will hit is unclear. Sandy is a swirl of moving parts and any change in forecast could mean major changes in its impact. That said, a serious storm is clearly afoot -- and meteorologists are working overtime to track Sandy's progress. Here are the latest storm predictions from the CNN Weather Unit: Saturday Sandy, which is over the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida, is expected to continue moving up alongside the East Coast. It will likely weaken to a tropical storm. But don't be fooled; Sandy should strengthen again later in the weekend. Rough seas and surf will be building along the seaboard as far north as North Carolina. Heavy rain and strong winds will pound the coastal regions of North Carolina and Virginia as the storm slogs north. Rough seas will stretch up through Delaware and Maryland. Monday Sandy's massive size, coupled with a full moon peaking Monday, will lead to extremely high tides, rough seas and storm surge that will cause beach erosion and flooding. The mid-Atlantic region will be hit hard, with tropical storm force winds extending from the Carolinas up to Maine. Sandy should make landfall late Monday or Tuesday, striking somewhere between Virginia and New York. Tuesday into Wednesday Sandy is forecast to move slowly. In spots, its center could linger for as long as 48 hours, unleashing heavy rain from the Great Lakes down to the Mid-Atlantic, through the Northeast. The strongest winds may not be nearest Sandy's center, as they are with traditional hurricanes. On the backside of the storm, record-breaking snow will fall over portions of the Appalachian Mountains, mainly in West Virginia.