Our unseasonable January may become dangerous on Thursday as a potent storm system moves into Ohio on Thursday afternoon.
After early morning rain on Thursday, clouds will briefly break midday on Thursday, allowing temperatures to rise well above average, soaring to near 60 degrees.
By early afternoon, a potent low pressure system will move into Ohio, creating brief but significant instability, allowing for quick development of showers and storms.
Severe weather threat
The storms that develop will quickly strengthen and race off to the east or northeast.
The wind profiles of the atmosphere will allow the strongest storms to produce a threat of damaging wind gusts and some hail.
We cannot rule out a brief tornado during the peak of the instability, which is expected between 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The greatest severe weather threat will mainly be north of I-70. The threat of storms will end shortly after dark.
Gusty winds outside storms
Outside of the storms, we expect gusty winds to develop across the state from early afternoon and last well into the evening. The wind gusts could top 35 mph, with some gusts occasionally as high as 45 mph.
A Wind Advisory will be in effect for southwest Ohio and may expand at a later time as more data arrive. The wind will bring in the warm and moist air through midday Thursday, then switch out of the west-northwest toward evening.
Seasonably chilly air will push back into the state Thursday night, with some passing flurries possible on Friday.
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