There is a possibility that tornadoes, damaging winds and hail will hit much of Arkansas on Friday, forecasters said Wednesday.
Much of the state, including Little Rock, was under an enhanced risk for severe weather on Wednesday.
An enhanced risk means that “numerous severe storms” are possible, according to a severe weather briefing from the National Weather Service.
Justin Condry, a meteorologist with the weather service in North Little Rock, said there is a chance most of Arkansas could see two rounds of rain on Friday.
“The first round coming through in the morning would likely just be rain and scattered showers,” he said. “The second round in the afternoon is where we might have a few tornadoes, winds around 60 mph or more and ping pong ball-sized hail.”
“Ahead of the system, gusty southerly winds will bring warm temperatures/increasing moisture, and the potential of strong to severe [thunderstorms],” the briefing said.
Condry said there were still a lot of questions about how severe the weather on Friday could be.
“I would not be surprised if the storm prediction center narrowed down the enhanced risk area before Friday,” he said.
He said there may be more counties in Arkansas moved down to a slight risk of severe weather.
A slight risk of severe weather is defined by the weather service as “scattered severe storms possible,” the briefing said.
“Quarter to three quarter inch precipitation totals are in the forecast, with up to an inch in the north[ern part of the state],” the briefing said, “This will not be enough to make existing high water issues (i.e. elevated rivers/saturated soil) worse.”
Condry said, if the risk remained enhanced for Little Rock, residents should expect any type of severe weather.
He said the forecast should get more specific closer to Friday, but Arkansans should use this as an opportunity to talk about weather safety plans as peak severe weather season approaches the state.
“It may not be this event that you need to use your plan, but we are entering an active pattern before this severe weather season in Arkansas, and it is a good time to gather your supplies in a bag or bin, plan how you’ll get alerts and find the place where you and your family will go in the case of severe weather,” Condry said.
April and May are considered peak severe weather season in the state, he said.
“As winter changes to spring, it is the environmental prime for severe weather,” Condry said. “This time of year we expect a train of [storm] systems every week or even less than a week between them.”
The meteorologist said that the storm prediction center has already issued a slight risk for severe weather for all of Arkansas on Tuesday.