Jared Smith founded @chswx on Twitter in 2008 as an experiment in disseminating weather data through social media. In the ensuing decade-and-a-half, @chswx has provided live coverage of tropical cyclones, tornadoes, severe weather, and even a couple bouts of winter weather to the good people of Charleston, SC.
We’ll get Friday off to a nice start in the wake of the cold front which instigated a lot of the rough weather over the last couple days in the eastern half of the country. Temperatures will start around 50-51° under mostly clear skies. We’ll warm to the mid-60s before another cold front “backdoors” in from the north, bringing much cooler temperatures and a return to cloud cover.
Yes, folks…the wedge is back.
Saturday will start out much cooler than normal, with highs in the upper 30s. Temperatures will only head up to the mid-50s as the wedge settles in. At the same time, a low will spin up off the Florida and Georgia coast. Convergence on the northern half of the low could help spread a few showers into the area as early as Saturday, but slightly better rain chances arrive on Sunday as the low heads northeast, coming a little bit closer to our coastline. Sunday looks a bit warmer with highs near 60° as the wedge seems to weaken a little bit. Don’t fret — we’re back in the 70s by next Tuesday.
Today could feature a severe weather episode across the Lowcountry in the afternoon and early evening hours as a squall line pushes through the area. Damaging straight-line wind gusts are the primary concern, but embedded strong tornadoes and some large hail will be possible as well. We may see some weakening of the storms as they approach the Charleston metro area as the line interacts with a more stable marine layer, but I wouldn’t hang my hat on it as these storms could remain vigorous enough to overcome the stable air.
Before the storms arrive, expect mostly cloudy skies with some peeks of sun. Highs should top out in the upper 70s provided the line does not sweep through earlier than anticipated. It’ll turn windy outside of thunderstorms as the low-level jet kicks up throughout the day. Gusts to 30+ MPH will be possible, making bridge driving a little more tricky.
Storms should clear the area by around 6-7 PM if current timings hold, and we will turn much cooler tomorrow.
Severe weather appears to be in the cards for Thursday as a cold front approaches the area in the afternoon and early evening hours. This cold front is expected to be bringing a squall line with it, and the atmosphere ahead of the line will become increasingly favorable for sustaining severe weather. Temperatures will surge to near 80° especially away from the immediate coast before being tamped down later in the day. Even outside of thunderstorms, it will be windy, with gusts 30-40 MPH possible thanks to a strengthening low-level jet, which will help contribute to increased shear to help organize severe thunderstorms.
The squall line is the main concern, though. The line could enter western portions of the Tri-County as early as 1-2 PM, and may exit as late as 8 PM, based on the National Weather Service’s latest timing estimates. The line is slowly starting to take shape across Louisiana, and we will want to watch its progress closely over the next 24 hours to ensure timing and forecast is on track. A somewhat later arrival could mean more time for the atmosphere to destabilize, increasing the severe weather threat.
Hazards with the line include the risk for widespread damaging straight-line winds as well as a few tornadoes — a couple of which could be on the strong side, particularly near the I-95 corridor. Quarter-size hail is a possibility as well. Additionally, while not explicitly modeled in our area, we’ll want to keep an eye on any storms that might try to get going ahead of the line as those could pose a higher tornado risk.
Finally, it’s most important to note that not all of you will see severe weather tomorrow. There are limiting factors at play, including the role that the cooler Atlantic shelf waters may play in stabilizing the atmosphere closer to the coast and just how unstable the atmosphere can ultimately get here due to cloud cover. Severe weather forecasts are rarely a slam dunk in the Lowcountry because of our unique geography. With all that said, though, let’s be ready for the worst, but hopeful for a relatively quiet day.
Another round of rain is expected overnight tonight as an upper-level disturbance moves through, with isolated showers possible during the day Wednesday.
The high pressure wedge won the day today, keeping temperatures well below forecasted levels in the low to mid-60s in the Charleston metro, while Moncks Corner struggled to 50°. It appears that the wedge will once again put a dent in temperatures tomorrow, with highs in the upper 60s in the Charleston metro perhaps being a bit generous if this afternoon’s high-resolution model runs have anything to say about it. Bottom line: Don’t misplace the light jacket tomorrow, preferably the green one given St. Patrick’s Day.
While we’ll be relatively calm tomorrow, a severe weather outbreak is expected from western Tennessee to Alabama as a strong storm system moves across the Mid-South. This storm system will head eastward and play a potentially major part in our weather on Thursday.
Well, it was nice while it lasted, but the rain is back overnight tonight into Tuesday as energy aloft as well as a surface low ripple along a stationary front to keep shower chances in the forecast, especially as we get into the evening hours. Expect the wedge front to retreat northward across the area during the day, with temperatures heading into the mid-70s in the afternoon in the metro area. 70s become a little less certain the further north and west you go; that will be governed strongly by just how far north the wedge front can retreat throughout the day. Models indicate a steep drop in temperatures across the front, potentially keeping areas near I-95 some 10-20° cooler than coastal areas.
A thunderstorm or two can’t be ruled out as we get into Tuesday afternoon and evening. A sampling of model soundings around the area suggest that a stronger storm or two may be in the cards, so we’ll want to keep an eye on this. However, no widespread severe weather is expected Tuesday.
Unsettled weather returns to the picture this week as a series of fronts stall out across the area, bringing shower and thunderstorm chances starting late Monday into much of the rest of the week. Temperatures will be on quite the rollercoaster as well; after topping out at 80° today, we drop back to 61° for Monday as a cold air damming wedge builds southwest across the area, bringing cooler air and gusty northeast winds. Moisture will increase throughout the day, and we will begin to see showers possibly as early as Monday evening, with better rain chances arriving overnight into Tuesday.
After the stalled cold front lifts back north across the area as a warm front on Tuesday (and there is a big question on just how far north it will lift, perhaps making 71° a tad optimistic), low pressure will traverse the area, keeping showers and perhaps a thunderstorm or two in the forecast into Wednesday. We could see a line of strong to even severe storms swing through the area ahead of a cold front on Thursday; this will certainly be something to watch over the coming days, but it’s impossible to nail down the details this far in advance given consequential model timing differences (as one would expect at this range).
By Friday, another cool wedge of high pressure looks to build in across the area from northeast to southwest, keeping cloud cover around and temperatures down in the low 60s, well below normal for mid-March. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some shower chances enter the picture near the coast on Sunday, but right now the NWS forecast is rain-free.
Warm and dry weather will continue into the weekend, with temperatures remaining well above normal until a cold front backdoors into the area Monday and introduces some rain chances. Until then, though, while we will see a slow increase in clouds, expect mid-to-upper 70s away from the locally cooler coastline.
Don’t forget: Early Sunday morning, we “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time. Be sure to set your manually-set clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday night. It’s also a good time to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, not to mention your weather radio!
Our weather winning streak continues into Tuesday, with warmer temperatures in the afternoon after one more overnight frost. Cover up sensitive plants once again tonight and make sure your pets are in a warm, safe place.
Expect mostly sunny skies with perhaps a few clouds sneaking in during the afternoon. Temperatures will rise to around 70°, making it a fairly lovely — and climatologically normal — March afternoon. Hope you can take advantage!
High pressure will be the main factor in our weather throughout the week, keeping things dry and warming us up to the upper 70s for at least the first part of the weekend.
A freeze is expected inland of Highway 17 tonight, with scattered to widespread frost elsewhere. Be sure pets and plants are protected; if you live further inland, consider dripping a faucet as temperatures could dip into the upper 20s there. Frosty conditions will be possible again on Tuesday morning across much of the area, and a Frost Advisory may be needed.
Otherwise, though, expect temperatures to gradually warm up as the week goes on. High pressure will slip offshore, and the southerly return flow will help temperatures rise into the 70s by mid-week. There will be clouds from time to time, but no measurable rain is expected for several days. Our next chance of rain could come Sunday, but that is even right now at such a low probability that it isn’t mentioned in the NWS forecast.
