COLUMBIA, S.C. — Is there a chance for wintry weather in South Carolina for the 4th weekend in a row? Model guidance was showing the possibility for wintry weather this upcoming Sunday during early week projections, but the chances have gone down significantly.
A Major Winter Storm is Ongoing Thursday
A major winter storm stretches from Texas to Maine on Thursday morning. Winter storm warnings are in effect for snowy weather on the back end of the storm. Some of the worst weather from this storm will occur in parts of Arkansas and Tennessee along the Mississippi River, into the interior of the Northeast US where rain will coat everything in a thick layer of ice. Ice Storm Warnings are in effect for cities like Memphis, TN and Lexington, KY and extend as far south as the Louisiana / Arkansas border.
Fortunately, South Carolina is on the mild side of this storm with temperatures on Thursday morning staying above 50F in Columbia for the first time since January 9th. Temperatures will soar into the 70s on Thursday afternoon with a mix of clouds and sunshine and temperatures will stay above 60 degrees through Friday morning with on and off soaking showers through the morning and mid-day on Friday. This storm system will exit the area overnight Friday and deliver a dry and cooler forecast for the weekend.
Weekend Coastal Storm looks less likely
The potential for wintry weather in South Carolina this weekend would have come from a coastal low pressure system developing on the backside of the cold front that is expected to pass through the Palmetto State Saturday.
While the air will be below freezing this weekend, high pressure this weekend appears to be much stronger feature than the models initially projected for the weekend, which will keep us dry. A coastal storm will bring a chance for some rain in North Florida, Georgia, and the coast of South Carolina late Saturday into Sunday, but the trends keep wintry precipitation out of the forecast.
We'll know more about the weekend forecast on Thursday evening when the higher resolution weather models are in the time range, but for now there is no icy weather in the forecast for the South Carolina Midlands this weekend.
