The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center is warning of a slight risk for severe weather for much of Missouri Thursday and a smaller portion of the state on Friday.  Missourians are encouraged to watch for weather updates and be aware of changing conditions.

This graphic from the National Weather Service's St. Louis Office shows where the Storm Prediction Center says there is a slight chance of severe weather Thursday and Friday.

This graphic from the National Weather Service’s St. Louis Office shows where the Storm Prediction Center says there is a slight chance of severe weather Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service says storms could move into southwest Missouri after midnight Thursday morning and begin impacting northwest Missouri by around daybreak. Storms the morning carry some risk for severe weather, primarily from hail.

Meteorologist Steve Lindenberg says later Thursday storms could become stronger if enough instability is present.

“During the afternoon and evening we could get additional strong to severe weather with large hail and damaging winds the primary severe weather risk,” says Lindenberg. The Weather Service does not rule out the possibility of isolated tornadoes Thursday.

The front that will produce these storms is expected to move slowly and linger in the state Friday and into the weekend, presenting the possibility of more rounds of thunderstorms Friday and perhaps Saturday and Sunday. A slight chance for severe weather remains for Friday in most of the southern half of the state.

The Storm Prediction Center says the predictability of severe weather for Saturday and Sunday is too low to offer an outlook.

Forecasters are also concerned about the possibility of minor flooding in the next few days, but major, widespread flooding is not anticipated.

For National Weather Service information for your area, visit these NWS pages.

In northwest and western Missouri:  Kansas City (Pleasant Hill)

In northeast and eastern Missouri:  St. Louis

In southwest Missouri:  Springfield

In southeast Missouri:  Paducah, KY

Scotland and Clark counties:  Davenport, IA