The latest weather briefing for Arkansas from the National Weather Service in Little Rock

An active pattern will remain in place into the weekend, with chances for thunderstorms expected nearly every day through Sunday. Some of these storms could become strong to severe. Expect damaging winds and large hail with the strongest storms, with locally heavy rainfall also possible. The best chances for seeing any strong to severe thunderstorms will be late tonight into Friday morning, and again Saturday night through Sunday. However, there will still be some potential outside of these times.

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Your NWS Little Rock Forecast Team

NWS-Little Rock warns of a strong storm system in Arkansas on Friday, March 31

A strong storm system will be in the central United States on Friday.  Ahead of the system, a gusty south wind will bring warm temperatures and increasing moisture, and the potential of strong to severe thunderstorms. 

The greatest severe weather potential is where the most lift (surrounding a storm system to the north) overlaps the most unstable air (from the southwest). This includes northern Arkansas.  Where severe storms develop, the main concerns will be damaging winds and hail, and there may be isolated tornadoes.

Quarter to three quarter inch precipitation totals are in the forecast, with up to an inch in the north. This will not be enough to make existing high water issues (i.e. elevated rivers/saturated soil) worse.

Over 75 million people in central US at risk of severe weather outbreak - Accuweather

At least 15 states will be at risk of an outbreak of violent thunderstorms that will unleash everything from damaging winds to tornadoes on Friday, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. The area highlighted by forecasters is a massive swath of the country that extends from Texas to Alabama in the South to areas farther north such as Wisconsin and Michigan.

The AccuWeather forecast team raised Friday’s risk of severe weather from moderate to a high level prior to the middle of the week, a sign of growing concern for the potential damage the storms could cause.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/over-75-million-people-in-central-us-at-risk-of-severe-weather-outbreak/1504845

A risk of severe weather for Arkansas on Friday

A strong storm system will be in the central United States on Friday. Ahead of the system, a strong south wind will bring warm temperatures and increasing moisture, and the potential of strong to severe thunderstorms. 

There is some question as to how much warmth/moisture (instability) will be in place as thunderstorms develop. Also, the system/associated energy will be well north of the state, and this may limit the amount of severe weather that occurs. The situation will be monitored closely. 

Quarter to three quarter inch precipitation totals are in the forecast. This will not be enough to make existing high water issues (elevated rivers/saturated soil) worse.