Parts of Arkansas could see severe storms on Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
“Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible again today across portions of Arkansas. There is a slight to enhanced risk of severe weather, indicating the potential for a tornado or two, large hail, and damaging winds,” a severe weather briefing from the weather service said.
These threats come after much of northern and northeastern Arkansas saw several potential tornadoes Friday night through early Saturday morning.
The main focus of severe weather will be eastern and southeastern Arkansas, said Jeff Hood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock.
A tornado watch has been issued for six Arkansas counties: Union, Ashley, Desha, Bradley, Drew and Chicot. The watch is set to remain in effect until 1 p.m. Saturday, the weather service said.
Areas near the eastern border of the state, including Jonesboro and Pine Bluff, are at a marginal risk for severe weather.
A marginal risk means that some storms could be capable of damaging winds and severe hail, and a localized tornado threat could develop, the weather briefing stated.
Areas further east and to the south, like West Memphis and El Dorado, are at a slight risk for severe weather.
The weather briefing said a slight risk is applied when forecasters have increased confidence that some storms will contain damaging winds, severe hail and/or tornado potential and a few severe storms could be significant.
Further west, the state could see rain or storms as well.
“We should still be on guard in case of hail,” Hood said Saturday morning.
The timing of storms on Saturday is slightly tricky, the forecaster said.
“It will be a continuous threat throughout the day, into the afternoon and evening,” he said.
The forecaster said Arkansans should remain vigilant as this storm system seems very capable of producing severe weather.
“Parts of Mississippi and Alabama have been given a ‘high risk’ for severe weather, which is exceptionally rare and Arkansas is at the close end of that,” Hood said. “That means a high threshold for tornadoes.”
A high risk was defined in the weather briefing as forecasters having “high confidence that an outbreak of storms will contain tornadoes, damaging winds and/or severe hail.” These storms could be very intense, the kind an area may only experience once or twice in a lifetime.
