Arctic air to arrive in the Lowcountry this week; winter precipitation possible
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Arctic air is on its way to the Lowcountry, and Storm Team 2 is tracking the possibility of some winter precipitation in the coming days.
Bitterly cold temperatures will impact southeast South Carolina over the next week, with dangerous wind chills possible Tuesday night into Wednesday night. Low temperatures could also reach near-record levels Wednesday night.
An area of low pressure will pass to the south and offshore by the middle of this week which Storm Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Rob Fowler says could bring winter precipitation to the area; however, the track will be key to what type and amount.
“Overnight, we have seen our GFS model trend a little drier, with the EURO still with a solid area of frozen precipitation (mainly snow) over the eastern 2/3 of SC. As we have mentioned in every update, this is still a very fluid situation, and there will be adjustments through “go time”, which is most likely Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning,” Fowler said.
The probabilities for accumulating snow and freezing rain impacting the area continue to increase, and one to two inches of snow is possible for most areas with 0.05-0.20” ice (mainly southern coastal counties).
Yet it is still unclear whether freezing rain, sleet, or snow will be the main event in the coastal counties, while the risk for all snow is highest away from the coast.
“There is still uncertainty about precipitation type along the way. We could see more freezing rain at times, which ultimately would limit snowfall totals, but increase risk of icing on roads,” he said.
Fowler said the greatest impacts are expected Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning. He added that there is a low-end risk that freezing rain will occur Thursday and Friday mornings.
Some travel issues could continue into Wednesday night and Thursday as wet roads could refreeze.
Be sure to download the News 2 app for breaking news alerts, updates, and any possible changes to school schedules this week. You can also download the Storm Team 2 app for the latest forecast and weather alerts.
