Heads up for severe storms Tuesday afternoon and night in the mid-Mississippi valley.

A strong storm system with cold air and lots of energy is rolling out of the Rockies and will run straight into a warm and humid air mass to the east. Tornado watches were hoisted Tuesday morning over Oklahoma and Kansas, and they now stretch to Arkansas. The main tornado threat will most likely be from late afternoon into the night in Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana.

Unfortunately, some of these will be forming when it's dark, making them even more dangerous. The severe weather will steam through the mid-South early Wednesday morning and then make it to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic by night.

The top side of the storm features rain changing to snow in the upper Midwest and Northeast. About 4 to 8 inches of snow is possible in central Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Stay safe!

Morning Express with Robin Meade airs Monday through Friday at 6 a.m. ET on HLN.  Like the show on Facebook, follow Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen on Twitter: @BobVanDillen.