Baseball-size hail could pummel the Eastern Plains Thursday when a severe weather system rolls across the state, according to forecasters.

Winds also could gust to 80 mph, said Kyle Fredin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boulder.

“There is a higher potential for severe weather on the plains from a line from Fort Morgan to Limon and eastward,” Fredin said Thursday morning.

Tornadoes and pockets of heavy rain are also possible, he said.

In the Denver metro area it will be mostly sunny with a high near 92 degrees, but after 2 p.m., there is a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in Denver. The metro also could experience hail and strong winds Thursday afternoon, Fredin said.

Temperatures will dip on Friday with an expected high of 85 degrees. There is a 20 percent chance of afternoon rain.

The forecast for Saturday through Wednesday carries a slight chance for afternoon rain and thunderstorms, the weather service said

Temperatures are expected to climb back into the 90s for the weekend, with a high of about 92 on Saturday and 95 on Sunday. It will remain hot Monday and Tuesday with expected highs in the low 90s.