A northward lifting warm front on Friday, in tandem with an approaching dryline from the west in eastern Oklahoma, will initiate an opportunity for strong to severe thunderstorms to develop and move into Arkansas.
All modes of severe weather will be possible from large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a few tornadoes.
Excessive rainfall will also accompany this system which will present the risk for flash flooding, especially in vulnerable locations for flash flooding as early as Thursday through Friday night.
Severe Weather Briefing from the National Weather Service
An unsettled weather pattern will continue today/tonight. Showers and scattered thunderstorms remain in the forecast, and areas of heavy rain are expected.
The forecast calls for an additional half inch to more than two inches of rain across Arkansas. Spotty flash flooding is possible, and some minor river flooding is likely to occur or is ongoing.
While the primary concern will be heavy rain, there could be isolated severe storms across southern Arkansas. More significant severe weather is likely farther south along the Gulf Coast (from Louisiana into Mississippi and Alabama).