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Author: Jared Smith

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.

Friday & the weekend: Another foggy start, then a few storms to contend with

/ May 2, 2024 at 9:29 PM

Get ready for another foggy start across much of the area Friday morning, as conditions appear favorable once again for some dense fog to develop and potentially have some commute impacts. Once again, if you’re encountering fog, slow down and use those low beams.

Once fog clears by mid-morning, expect generally partly cloudy skies with highs topping out once again in the mid-80s on Friday afternoon. A few inland spots could see a shower or storm, but the vast majority of us stay rain-free.

High pressure aloft will break down in time for Saturday, and some energy moving into the area will allow for isolated to scattered thunderstorms to break out particularly in the afternoon and early evening. It won’t rain all day in any one location, but having a backup indoor plan for your outdoor plans is a smart call. With the scattering of storms, expect highs to run a couple degrees cooler on Saturday, but still in the mid-80s. Sunday looks similar, with a slightly better chance of seeing some storms in the afternoon than on Saturday. Once again, expect lows in the mid-to-upper 60s to yield to mid-80s highs in the afternoon outside of thunderstorms.

From here, it turns hot…mid-90s may be in the cards by the middle of next week as we get a solid summer preview. (Whether that’s a good or bad thing is a thought exercise left to the reader.)

Thursday: Foggy start to a warm day

/ May 1, 2024 at 9:14 PM

We’ll wake up to some fog in the area on Thursday morning, with some patches of dense fog not out of the question. This might have some commute impacts, to be ready to allow a little extra time to get where you are going tomorrow morning. Be sure to use low beams in fog, even if the sun is out — you want to be seen — but avoid the high beams as they may act to blind you.

Fog looks to scour out around 9-10am or so, and we should be in for a partly cloudy to mostly sunny day across the Lowcountry with temperatures rising to the mid-80s in the afternoon. Aside from the fog, there are no other weather concerns of note.

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Rest of the work week: Storms taper Wednesday, quiet and warm through Friday

/ April 30, 2024 at 7:16 PM

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will arrive in the metro area late Tuesday and last through Wednesday morning before tapering. An isolated storm is possible along the seabreeze in the early afternoon, but otherwise, expect a mostly quiet day of weather across the area for Wednesday. We’ll get started in the mid-60s — about 5° or so above normal for this point in the year — and warm to the mid-80s in the afternoon. These temperatures generally hold true for the rest of the week, too, as high pressure reasserts control. Thursday and Friday will be rain-free, with just a slight uptick in clouds on Friday ahead of a disturbance that brings scattered storm chances to the area for the weekend.

Tuesday: A few late-afternoon storms last into the overnight

/ April 29, 2024 at 9:54 PM

Our next chance of wet weather arrives later Tuesday as a disturbance aloft moves into the area. We start the day on a dry note, though, and not everyone will see rain all the time heading into Tuesday afternoon and evening. Expect generally partly cloudy skies away from the scattering of storms. Lows will run in the low 60s, yielding to low-to-mid-80s in the afternoon.

Showers and thunderstorms will be possible overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning, which may have some relatively minor commute impacts depending on how quickly the disturbance can depart. Stay tuned.

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The week ahead: Above-normal temperatures as we head into May

/ April 28, 2024 at 5:36 PM

High pressure will be the main weather driver again this week, which will help drive temperatures a few degrees above normal to close out April and bring in May. Monday will be the coolest day of the period with lows in the upper 50s yielding to highs in the low 80s in the afternoon under mostly sunny skies. We warm a little bit on Tuesday with a bit more in the way of cloud cover as well (and maybe a shower or storm well inland). Seabreeze thunderstorms could be in the offing for Wednesday as we get into a stretch of temperatures about 5° or so above normal that’ll last well into the weekend. Quiet weather is expected Thursday and Friday before another disturbance potentially spawns a few isolated thunderstorms on Saturday afternoon as well as into Sunday. No washouts expected, though.

Weekend forecast: Quiet, seasonable

/ April 26, 2024 at 8:20 PM

Another quiet and nice weekend to get outdoors is on tap. Saturday starts in the low 60s, warming to around 80° in the afternoon under partly cloudy skies. It’ll be another breezy day, with winds out of the east and southeast blowing around 10-15 MPH (a little higher toward the coast).

For Sunday, we highlight Saturday, press Cmd-C, select the “Sunday” cell, and press Cmd-V, as generally similar weather is in store. Winds may be a little less breezy, which is only the real change as high pressure continues to be the driving force in our weather for the weekend and into much of next week.

Friday & the weekend: Quiet, comfortably warm

/ April 25, 2024 at 9:21 PM

There’s not been too terribly much to write home about weather-wise this week, and that continues as we head into Friday and the weekend. Temperatures will remain generally within spitting distance of normal, and while we’ll have some cloud cover from time to time, plenty of sunshine will filter through as well as high pressure remains the dominant player in the forecast. Dewpoints will generally run in the mid-50s, yielding generally comfortable relative humidity values around 45-50% each afternoon.

Next week, expect temperatures to head several degrees above normal to close out April and welcome in May, with mid-to-upper 80s expected by mid-week. Shower chances look relatively low right now, even with a front trying to get nearby. So, if you’re looking for rain, it may be several more days!

The week ahead: Generally quiet with more seasonable temperatures

/ April 21, 2024 at 11:16 PM

After last week’s summer preview, temperatures will be more seasonable by late April standards, even getting off to a much cooler than normal start on Monday as clouds gradually break up. Expect highs to only top out in the mid-to-upper 60s on Monday as a northerly breeze persists across the area. Tuesday gets off to the coolest start this week in the mid-40s before warming to the mid-70s in the afternoon — truly looking like a fantastic weather day in the Lowcountry. We’re back to the low 80s Wednesday before a dry front knocks temperatures back down to the upper 70s for Thursday and Friday. 80s return over the weekend, with some mid-80s possible by Sunday. You’ll notice a dearth of rain chances — it should be a great week overall to get outside, and I hope you can take advantage!

Friday & the weekend: Turning stormy and much cooler

/ April 18, 2024 at 9:56 PM

This week’s stretch of quiet weather comes to an end as we head into the weekend courtesy of a cold front. We hit 90° for the first time at the airport today, and could get close again on Friday, though a surface trough and some energy aloft could combine for a few showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A strong storm can’t be ruled out, either, with gusty winds and some hail a possibility.

More vigorous energy moves into the area as the backdoor front gets closer on Saturday. It’ll be one more very summer-like day with highs approaching 90° in the afternoon, though scattered showers and thunderstorms will be a possibility beginning mid-afternoon on. Off and on showers and thunderstorms remain in the forecast for Sunday, though as the front sinks southward, we’ll turn much cooler — expect highs to run almost 15° cooler than they did on Saturday. Rain chances should peak later in the evening into the overnight before tapering Monday.

High Water-goers, be alert this weekend for quickly changing conditions and be ready to safe shelter if lightning approaches. We usually get kind of lucky with this event and the weather, and hopefully we can keep that stretch going. If not, though, be sure to keep this mantra in mind…”When thunder roars, go indoors!”

Rest of the work week: First 90s of the year possible

/ April 16, 2024 at 11:01 PM

High cloud cover will factor in somewhat prominently on Wednesday, but we’ll still get plenty warm with the filtered sunshine. Expect highs in the mid-80s after a low 60s start.

The heat turns back up to levels closer to Monday’s upper 80s with another couple runs at the 90° mark for the first time in 2024 coming up Thursday and Friday. High clouds will clear, leaving behind a mostly sunny sky on Thursday. A surface trough will move into the area Friday, which could act as an instigator for a few showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon (though most will stay dry). If we don’t hit 90° Thursday, we should do it Friday.

The above-normal warmth carries into Saturday before a front knocks temperatures back down to more seasonable levels for Sunday into next week. (Alas, the aforementioned front will also keep shower and thunderstorm chances in the forecast over the weekend as well, though it won’t be a washout.)

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