Tornado watch issued in 4 states, with damaging wind gusts and large hail warnings

As a cross-country storm makes its way east across the United States on Sunday evening, a tornado watch has been issued for portions of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky until 11 p.m. CT.

While tornadoes are possible, the primary hazards from any severe thunderstorms will be damaging wind gusts and large hail.

Storms will be firing up through the early evening across the severe weather threat zone, which stretches from east Texas up through western Tennessee and Kentucky.

The storm was moving across the Upper Midwest as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, bringing strong, gusty winds to multiple states -- while sending a blast of snow to northern Minnesota and the northern Great Lakes region.

Wind advisories remained in effect through the evening hours from South Dakota to northern Indiana, including Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Cedar Rapids, Indiana; and the Chicago metro area. Specifically, winter weather alerts were posted for portions of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Some areas -- including Duluth, Minnesota; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Marquette, Michigan -- could receive over a half foot of snow by Monday, with gusty winds bringing blowing snow at times and impacting the morning commute.

The wind will begin to subside from west to east on Sunday evening as the system pushes farther east.

Scattered severe thunderstorms will be possible through Sunday night, from east Texas up into western Tennessee and Kentucky. Any stronger, slow-moving thunderstorms bringing torrential rain could trigger isolated areas of flash flooding where the heaviest rain falls. Frequent lightning could also occur.

This system begins sweeping across the Northeast overnight but also begins weakening as it starts to march across the region into early Monday morning.

While not that heavy, rain will make for a wet Monday morning commute along parts of the I-95 corridor. That translates to a blast of spring snow, reaching from the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania into upstate New York and northern New England as the week gets underway.

Marginally cold air should limit snow accumulation to just a few slushy inches across some of the highest elevations. The rain will be slow to clear through the Northeast, likely lingering along the coast until early to mid-afternoon on Monday. The rain will then persist along the New England coast into the evening, dampening the evening commute for cities like Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island. Parts of Maine could still see some snowfall.

The same system will trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms down along the East Coast, from the Carolinas to northern Florida.

Gusty winds and dry conditions continue to fuel an elevated fire danger across parts of the country on Sunday. The overall risk is lower than it was in previous days; however, these conditions still make it easier for new fires to spark and spread.

The greatest risk is for areas under a Red Flag Warning, which includes southwestern Virginia, down across the Great Smoky Mountains, and in portions of the Great Plains.

Elevated fire weather conditions are also in place from West Virginia down to Georgia, and across southern New England -- including the Boston metro area of Massachusetts.

It remains warm and dry in South Florida; however, lighter winds over the past 48 hours have helped firefighters get the 344 Fire under control. Overall, the upcoming week will bring dry conditions, but generally light winds. There is a chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms later Tuesday into Wednesday across the region.

Temperatures in the West will be warming up as the new work week begins, challenging daily record highs in some cities over the next several days.

On Monday, daily record highs will be challenged in cities like Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff, Arizona. Widespread daily record highs could be broken on Tuesday, from Arizona up to Washington, in cities including Phoenix, Arizona; Fresno, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.

This warmer air will sweep east across much of the central and eastern U.S. later this week. However, temperatures will moderate by then, so there won't be any record-challenging temperatures across the eastern half of the country.