Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued as severe storms, possible tornadoes threaten Ohio Valley on Thursday
Damaging wind gusts are the primary threat, but a brief tornado or two is also possible. This threat includes Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton in Ohio.
Storms move quickly across Ohio, threat of damaging winds
Around 2.5 million in Ohio are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. Primary threats are damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
Severe storms are expected in parts of the Ohio Valley on Thursday afternoon and evening as a fast-moving line of thunderstorms races across the Buckeye State.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for parts of eastern Indiana, far northern Kentucky and western Ohio until 7 p.m. EST. The watch area includes Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton in Ohio.
Damaging wind gusts are the primary threat, but a brief tornado or two is also possible. The FOX Forecast Center said storms moving through this region during the evening commute could pack 60-mph wind gusts.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center raised Ohio's severe weather risk to Level 3 out of 5, shaded in the darkest red on the map below. This is the first time parts of Ohio have ever been placed under a Level 3 risk in January.
THE SPC 5-POINT SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK CATEGORY SCALE EXPLAINED
"We are going to be tracking a line of storms that's going to lift up through I-75 north of I-70, I think from Columbus up towards Cleveland," FOX Weather meteorologist Jane Minar said. "That's going to be the greatest concern for that severe weather."
The low-pressure system responsible for producing nearly 2 feet of snow in the central Plains will also bring rain and a wintry mix to parts of the Northeast. Farther south, rain will continue throughout Thursday morning across parts of the Tennessee Valley and Southeast.
"Because that low pressure, as it moves in, there's a lot of (wind) shear in the atmosphere because that sunshine will have the instability, temperatures pushing near 60. But what's interesting, too, once this moves out, then we have snow," Minar said.
Tornadoes are rare in January in Ohio. Only nine have been recorded in the state during the first month of the year since 1950.