The National Weather Service at Birmingham has issued a hazardous weather statement for Dallas and surrounding counties, predicting a small chance of strong damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, hail and locally heavy rain across Central Alabama.

The severe weather threat exists for all of Central Alabama, except those counties that touch the Georgia state line. The best chance for tornadoes exists near and south of a line from Tuscaloosa to Clanton to Tuskegee.

This hazardous weather is part of a massive storm system that will affect a large portion of the eastern U.S.

Forecasters say storms could develop as early as noon head of the cold front and move eastward.

The front is expected to enter western Alabama about 6 p.m. and move into Georgia about midnight.