As we kick off the busiest week of travel, the risk for severe weather is taking aim at parts of the Deep South.

There is a tornado watch in effect in southern Arkansas until 7 pm Monday.

Lafayette, Columbia, Union, Ashley, and Chicot Counties are included in the watch. The watch extends much further south and includes a large portion of east Texas and Louisiana.

For much of Arkansas, that risk is very low. But for southern sections of the state, and especially down in Louisiana and Mississippi, there is a significant risk for tornadoes, damaging wind and large hail.

Rain and storms become more widespread through the morning, which should keep temperatures a bit cooler in much of central and north Arkansas. With that, it should limit instability quite a bit and keep us out of the most significant severe risk zone.

But for south Arkansas, there will be a bit more warm, humid air available to fuel storms. This is especially the case for areas south of U.S. Highway 82 into much of Louisiana and central Mississippi.

If you’re in these areas, be sure you have the Arkansas Storm Team app downloaded with notifications enabled. Remain vigilant and have a plan in case you must seek shelter while traveling. Perhaps that plan involves delaying your trip a few hours or even until tomorrow.

As we head into the early evening, these storms will quickly be moving out of the state. By the time it’s all said and done, most areas will have picked up about a half inch to perhaps 2 inches of rain in spots.

As rain and storms move out, the cooler, drier air moves in and travel will be much more manageable. Clouds will linger through Tuesday morning and much of Tuesday. This, along with a breezy northwest wind, should keep temperatures in the mid and lower 50s. Lows return to the upper 30s through mid-week.