An approaching warm front will bring some big changes to the forecast as we head into late-week. As this warm front passes during the overnight Thursday into Friday morning, there will be a few stronger storms capable of producing damaging wind and quarter size hail. The risk is very low.

The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted parts of western Arkansas in a Level 1 risk zone on a 1 to 5 scale. This area may be expanded to include more of southern Arkansas, though the risk level will likely remain at a 1.

A few more may develop into the early morning hours on Friday, continuing the severe risk across eastern Arkansas.

The Storm Prediction Center has much of eastern Arkansas in a Level 1 risk on a 1 to 5 scale for Friday morning.

Along with these additional morning storms will come more heavy rain. Most of us will see 1 to 2 inches of rain while some may dodge the heaviest amounts. A few spots could pick up a bit more than 2 inches. So isolated pockets of flash flooding cannot be ruled out.

This model suggests our heaviest rain may fall through the Arkansas River Valley and central Arkansas. This could shift a bit farther north and south, depending on where the heavier storms set up.

In the mean time, we’ll stay mostly dry during most of your Thursday. Clouds will increase, though a light south wind will still help us climb into the upper 70s and lower 80s. Showers gradually move in late in the afternoon, becoming more widespread into the evening. Scroll through the slideshow below to see how radar may play out.

As our warm front arrives into western Arkansas around midnight, a few stronger storms will develop and likely spread southeastward through the pre-dawn hours. These are the storms capable of producing gusty wind and perhaps some hail. Temperatures slip into the upper 50s to lower 60s as more showers and storms build during Friday morning’s commute.

Most of this rain will be out of here by mid and late-morning on Friday. Then in the afternoon, we’ll start to see some clouds clear out. If these clouds clear out sooner, the sunshine should get temperatures into the low to mid-80s. But where clouds linger, some may linger in the 70s.

Regardless, humidity ramps up big time. This will make for hotter, more humid conditions through the weekend. Highs reach 90 degrees on Saturday and may stay in the upper 80s Sunday. This will help drive a few hit-or-miss showers and storms both afternoons. This summer-like pattern will continue into early next week.

Hotter temperatures are expected through the weekend, along with the humidity. This will likely put heat index values just slightly warmer than numbers seen here.