A slow-moving storm system will lift northeast through the Midwest into the western Great Lakes tonight. Showers will be on and off through early afternoon. Skies will brighten, which will allow temperatures to rise to near 70, triggering scattered strong to severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front.

Some storms will contain gusty winds and potentially turn severe, especially across the northeast half of the state. A few rotating storms are possible, with a tornado threat of 5 percent over portions of central and eastern Ohio this afternoon. There is also the risk of hail and damaging straight-line winds.

Cooler air will filter in overnight, with lingering showers. Thursday will be mainly cloudy, with temperatures in the 50s and a passing shower.

Another disturbance will bring showers Friday afternoon into early Saturday, possibly mixing with a few snowflakes early in the weekend across the northeast. Drier weather will return Sunday.

This weekend will feel like an early March or late winter throwback, with cold northerly winds and temperatures in the low to mid-40s in the afternoon. Morning lows will fall into the 20s Sunday and Monday.

Forecast

• Wednesday: Showers a.m., storms later, possibly severe. High 71
• Tonight: Showers, turning cooler late. Low 44
• Thursday: Cloudy, breezy, cooler, showers p.m. High 54
• Friday: Cloudy, chilly, showers. High 46 (38)
• Saturday: Windy, colder, flurry. High 46 (35)
• Sunday: Partly sunny. High 45 (28)
• Monday: Mostly sunny. High 48 (28)
• Tuesday: Partly sunny. High 54 (35)