CLEVELAND — Get ready for a wild weekend of Northeast Ohio weather filled with warm temperatures and strong winds.
A Flood Watch is in effect Friday evening through Saturday evening for Erie and Huron counties.
The NWS advises residents to monitor the forecast and remain alert for possible flood warnings. Those in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action.
The first thing you'll notice this weekend is above average temperatures for January. Temperatures will soar into the middle 50s today and then jump in to the lower and middle 60s on Saturday.
Cities from Mansfield to Akron, Canton and Youngstown could set new record highs on Saturday.
Wind gusts
Potential exists for a line of thunderstorms and heavy rain showers Saturday evening. These heavy rain showers could tap into some very strong winds just above the surface and drag them down to ground level. The result would be strong to damaging winds that could take down a few trees and power lines. Following this squall line passage, winds will increase toward midnight with gusts between 45 and 55 mph.
Friday
Rain will continue throughout the day, then lift north and become intermittent by late Friday. Temperatures remain in the upper 50s, with wind gusts near 30 mph.
Saturday
Rain is expected to return by Saturday and may be heavy at times. Any rainfall will quickly run off, which may lead to flooding in some areas. Storm total rainfall through Saturday will generally be between 1 to 3 inches with isolated higher amounts possible. Heavy amounts will be mainly West of I-71. This may cause area rivers to rise and perhaps cause minor flooding for some cities. High near 63 degrees on Saturday before temps take a plunge.
Sunday
By the time Sunday rolls around, most areas will a good inch of rain across Northern Ohio. For areas in the Flood Watch, from Erie to Huron counties, the rain gauge could be closer to 2 inches or more.
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