Severe Weather Risk Increases Going Into the Weekend

The latest from the NWS:

356 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS…
THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL…NORTH MISSISSIPPI…AND WEST TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE…TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT OVER THE
ENTIRE MID SOUTH. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG A
COLD FRONT TONIGHT. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP TONIGHT MAY
BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE BEST
CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM 5 PM CDT UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IS POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF
THE MID SOUTH SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY NIGHT.

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER SATURDAY AFTERNOON
INTO SATURDAY NIGHT ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM JONESBORO
ARKANSAS TO JACKSON TENNESSEE. THIS INCLUDES THE MEMPHIS
METROPOLITAN AREA AND TUPELO MISSISSIPPI. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK
FOR AREAS TO THE NORTH OF THIS LINE.

LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS SATURDAY AND
MOVE INTO THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SATURDAY NIGHT WHILE A WARM
FRONT SURGES NORTHWARD INTO THE MID SOUTH. THIS WILL BRING A
WARM…MOIST…AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF A
STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST. A STRONG UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND RESULT IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING
WINDS…LARGE HAIL…AND TORNADOES. THE POTENTIAL WILL ALSO EXIST
FOR A FEW STRONG TORNADOES. AN ADDITIONAL LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY IN ADVANCE
OF THE COLD FRONT AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT.