Spring storm, gusty winds raise danger of flooding

2/11/2009
  • Spring-storm-gusty-winds-raise-danger-of-flooding

    Samantha Geiser of Toledo practices her lacrosse moves at Wildwood Preserve Metropark under springlike conditions. Yesterday s high of 58 degrees was just shy of the record of 61 set in 1932.

    The Blade/Jeremy Wadsworth
    Buy This Image

    • Samantha Geiser of Toledo practices her lacrosse moves at Wildwood Preserve Metropark under springlike conditions. Yesterday s high of 58 degrees was just shy of the record of 61 set in 1932.
    Samantha Geiser of Toledo practices her lacrosse moves at Wildwood Preserve Metropark under springlike conditions. Yesterday s high of 58 degrees was just shy of the record of 61 set in 1932.

    After balmy conditions yesterday, a springlike storm system is expected to arrive today and dump rain on soggy ground and in swollen streams.

    All that moisture will be accompanied by wind gusts that could reach 60 mph, forecasters said.

    It s a very strong storm system, said Andrew Ulrich, meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc., a private forecasting service in State College, Pa. That s why you guys are going to get a lot of wind.


    Infielder Josh Colliver practices at first base as the University of Toledo baseball team takes advantage of the break in winter to practice outside. Strong winds and heavy rains are expected to force the team back indoors today.
    Infielder Josh Colliver practices at first base as the University of Toledo baseball team takes advantage of the break in winter to practice outside. Strong winds and heavy rains are expected to force the team back indoors today.

    A high-wind watch will take effect this evening through tomorrow morning. Gusty winds of 50 mph to 60 mph could occur as the storm front passes through, the National Weather Service said.

    With rain nearly a certainty, the weather service issued a flood watch, in effect until late tonight, for much of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. Runoff from recent snowmelt and river ice broken up by warm weather could cause some waterways to breach their banks, the weather service said.

    Thunderstorms are possible this afternoon.

    The Cleveland weather service office forecasts up to a half-inch of rain for much of northwest Ohio; the northern Indiana weather service office said far northwestern Ohio and Hillsdale County, Michigan, could receive an inch or two of rain.

    The high yesterday at Toledo Express Airport was 58, at 2:33 p.m., falling shy of the record, 61, set in 1932. The high today is expected again to be in the upper 50s, but the record is 71, set in 1999.