ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee traveled with NOAA researchers as they flew into the center of Hurricane Lee to gather data on the storm.

Lee, now a Category 2 hurricane, is bringing huge waves -- up to 12 feet -- to the entire East Coast.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Bermuda where Lee will drop gusty winds and heavy rain on Thursday.

By Friday, Lee will move away from Bermuda and begin to impact New England, where a hurricane watch was issued for Maine.

Powerful winds up to 60 mph could reach Cape Cod, Massachusetts, by Friday night.

On Saturday, the winds and rain will spread into the rest of New England. Boston could see winds up to 60 mph on Saturday morning.

The heaviest rain -- 1 to 3 inches -- will be from Cape Cod to Bar Harbor, Maine.

Landfall is expected Saturday night in Canada, either in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, near the Maine border. Lee at that point will have weakened to an extra-tropical storm system, but the strong winds will continue for Maine and Canada through Sunday morning.

-ABC News' Max Golembo

There's an increasing likelihood that Hurricane Lee will bring wind, rain and flooding to coastal New England on Friday and into the weekend.

Lee is forecast to still be hurricane-strength by the time it passes east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Saturday morning.

Lee could bring strong, gusty winds from Rhode Island to Boston to Maine. The heaviest rain, wind and storm surge will be from Cape Cod to Bar Harbor, Maine, from Friday night through Saturday.

Up to 4 feet of storm surge is possible on Cape Cod and Nantucket.

Hurricane conditions are possible in eastern Maine.

Early Sunday morning, Lee may make landfall between coastal Maine and Nova Scotia as a post-tropical storm. Then Lee will head out to sea.