The threat of severe weather returns to Arkansas Friday. Showers and storms will move into Arkansas during the daytime hours Friday along a cold front.

Ahead of that front, the warm, muggy air will gradually make its return. This will build instability, resulting in scattered showers and storms on Friday. Some of those could be strong to severe, most likely capable of producing damaging straight-line wind, hail, and flash flooding.

While most of the state is included in the level 2 risk zone, it is possible that parts of the state are eliminated from the greatest risk. Our in-house forecast model suggests that a wave of early morning showers and storms could linger into midday, keeping temperatures a bit cooler. If that happens, storms would likely be much weaker when the front actually arrives.

But some areas will likely dodge those early morning storms. If so, it would leave those areas more primed for severe storms later in the evening. At this point, that looks most likely in south Arkansas.