Residents are encouraged to keep an eye on the forecast heading into Friday as a severe weather threat makes its way across the state.

The National Weather Service in Jackson said storms, which are expected to stretch from Texas into Alabama, will move across the state Thursday into Friday with the main threat to Lauderdale County being 4-9 a.m. Friday.

Strong winds, hail and tornadoes will be possible as the line of thunderstorms moves through the area.

On social media, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency urged residents throughout the state to stay aware of the forecast in their area and plan accordingly.

Strong storms and tornadoes are not unusual for spring in the Magnolia State, MEMA officials said, with 96 tornadoes recorded between March and May last year.

Lauderdale County residents can sign up for emergency weather alerts from the Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency by texting their zip code to 888777 or online at lemaonline.com.

Residents in the city of Meridian can also get alerts from the city’s CodeRED alert system by texting “MERIDIANMS” to 99411 or by following the link on the city’s website, meridianms.org, and social media pages.

Those needing assistance signing up can call Meridian Public Safety at 601-484-6890 for help.

Following Friday’s severe weather, sunny skies will be on tap heading into the weekend. The National Weather Service forecast shows temperatures will be in the low 70s both Saturday and Sunday with little to no cloud cover expected.

Clouds will return Monday evening with a slight chance of rain heading into Tuesday.