Much of state is at risk for severe weather on Thursday

Much of Arkansas is at risk for severe weather on Thursday, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

“Isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms could occur across the western two-thirds of Arkansas Thursday and Thursday night,” the weather service said in a weather brief on Tuesday morning.

The main concern will be large hail and damaging winds, the brief stated, but the possibility of tornadoes cannot be ruled out. The environment will be most unstable, meaning it will be warm and moist, in the southwest portion of the state, the weather service stated. “That is where damaging winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes are most favorable,” the briefing said.

The western two-thirds of the state, including Little Rock, Conway, Texarkana, Hot Springs and Fayetteville, are under a slight risk for severe weather, the briefing said. A slight risk is defined as conditions where scattered severe storms are possible, the weather service said.

The rest of the state, mostly the eastern third, including Pine Bluff, Jonesboro and El Dorado, is at a marginal risk for severe weather.

The weather service defines a marginal risk as conditions where isolated severe storms are possible, the weather service said in a post on X earlier this month. Parts of Arkansas including West Memphis, Russellville and Prescott, could see up to three inches of rain through Thursday night, the weather service said. Much of the state, especially Central Arkansas, is forecast to get one and half to two inches of rain, the briefing said. Northwest and southeast portions of the state might see less rain, around an inch to an inch and a half.