( CNN ) -- Hurricane Rick weakened to a Category 3 storm early Monday as it churned toward Mexico 's Pacific coast , forecasters said . Workers fill sand bags at the Pueblo Bonito Rose Hotel on Mexico 's Baja Peninsula early Monday . Rick , still a powerful storm , was expected to weaken further before landfall by midweek . Maximum sustained winds dropped to near 115 mph ( 185 kph ) , the National Hurricane Center in Miami , Florida , said in a 11 a.m . ET advisory . `` Although additional weakening is forecast during the next day or so , Rick is still expected to be a dangerous hurricane as it approaches the southern Baja Peninsula , '' forecasters said . `` Interests in western Mexico , should monitor the progress of this hurricane . '' Mexican officials issued a hurricane watch for southern Baja , California , according to the National Hurricane Center . Forecasters said Rick would cause `` potentially dangerous surf conditions . '' Hurricane Rick was downgraded to a Category 4 storm Sunday evening .
NEW : Rick 's sustained winds decrease to 115 mph . The storm is expected to weaken over the next couple of days as it moves away from land. Rick expected to weaken further before landfall by midweek .