While cool and rainy weather lingers around the area Tuesday, warm and stormy weather returns by the end of the week.

The Storm Prediction Center has already circled two areas where severe weather will be likely Thursday and Friday of this week. The Thursday risk looks to be mainly in Oklahoma and Texas, with the Friday risk in far southeastern Arkansas.

Remember, what makes thunderstorms severe are damaging wind gusts over 60 mph, large hail over 1″ in diameter, and tornadoes. It looks like all these will be possible in the yellow-shaded areas. This yellow-shaded area currently covers the southern and eastern portions of the state on Friday.

The reason Arkansas is between the two risk areas has to do with the timing. Right now it looks like the line of thunderstorms along the cold front will move through north and central Arkansas during the morning and early afternoon. This means the storms won’t have the energy from the sun.

However, as storms move through southeastern Arkansas through the afternoon and evening, there looks to be enough energy for severe weather to be possible.

Morning and early afternoon thunderstorms can still be severe, so we will need to be weather-aware Friday.

Check back with the Arkansas Storm Team, because the timing and impacts could change over the next few days.