Our unseasonable January may become dangerous on Thursday as a potent storm system moves into Ohio on Thursday afternoon.
Most of the state dries out briefly early in the afternoon with some sun breaking through the clouds. Spring-like temperatures will create some instablity in our atmosphere.
Winds pick up as well and become breezy ahead of the cold front.
By 3 to 5 p.m., storms fire up in parts of Indiana and push into western/southwestern Ohio. The potential for rotating storms that could produce a brief tornado crosses into mid-Ohio closer to the evening rush hour.
The storms that develop will quickly strengthen and race off to the east or northeast.
The change in wind going up the atmosphere will allow the strongest storms to produce a threat of damaging wind gusts and some hail.
The greatest severe weather threat will along I-70 and a little bit north of there. Cities like Dayton to Columbus are in an enhanced risk for severe storms.
The threat of storms will end shortly after dark.
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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 45-55 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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