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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.

Spring preview continues

/ February 5, 2019 at 8:04 AM
NWS forecast for February 5, 2019. Mostly sunny with high of 75°.
Forecast for February 5, 2019 from the National Weather Service.

Our abnormally warm start to February continues today under mostly sunny skies. We reached 73° at the airport yesterday and look to top that today, with a high of 75° in the afternoon. It gets even warmer from here, too.

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The week ahead: Abnormal February warmth

/ February 4, 2019 at 8:12 AM
National Weather Service forecast for February 4-10, 2019. Rather warm!

Warm weather fans are going to like what is in store for the upcoming work week as subtropical ridging takes shape over the Gulf of Mexico, driving the storm track and cooler air to our north for a few days.

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The warming trend is on!

/ February 1, 2019 at 7:57 AM
Forecast for Friday, February 1, 2019: Mostly sunny, warmer. High 61°.
NWS forecast for Friday, February 1, 2019. (Looking good!)

Despite our freezing start — temperatures dropped into the upper 20s briefly this morning at the airport — we will recover nicely into the low 60s this afternoon with a good mix of sun and clouds.

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One more chilly day, then we warm up

/ January 31, 2019 at 8:02 AM
Thursday, January 31, 2019 weather forecast: High 52 degrees, mostly sunny.
Forecast for Thursday, January 31, 2019 from the National Weather Service.

Hang in there, everyone — we have one more day of chilly, POLAR VORTEX-adjacent cold before we get into a rather nice warming trend to kick off February.

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A chilly couple days ahead, with a rebound for the weekend

/ January 30, 2019 at 7:58 AM
Forecast for January 30, 2019: Scattered clouds. High 48. Wind chills in the low 30s.
National Weather Service forecast for January 30, 2019. Cold!

We are getting off to a rather chilly start this morning on the southern periphery of a significant Arctic blast of cold air. While we may be starting in the upper 20s, at least we are in the upper 20s above zero — can’t say the same for our friends in the Upper Midwest.

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Today’s showers and tomorrow’s chill

/ January 29, 2019 at 6:39 AM
GOES-East infrared satellite depicting an Arctic front draped from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Great Lakes. Areas of blues in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are not clouds — those are just frigid temperatures!

We’ve got some rain headed our way this afternoon into early this evening, followed by another round of chilly temperatures. Temperatures look to bounce back to close out the work week, though.

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The week ahead: January 28-February 3

/ January 27, 2019 at 5:54 PM
Seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service in Charleston.

We will be closing January with another Arctic cold snap making its way across the eastern half of the U.S. We won’t be immune from this cold snap, but it will not be a terribly severe or long-lasting cold for us in Charleston.

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Regarding rumors of snow on Tuesday night

/ January 26, 2019 at 4:45 PM
GEFS probability for snow through February 3. “So you’re saying there’s a chance.”
Source: NWS Environmental Modeling Center

I’ve received a few questions around the potential for snow on Tuesday night based on the output from a prominent weather app which will remain unnamed. Long story short: I wouldn’t bet on it.

Read on for details…

Blustery start to a quiet and chilly weekend

/ January 24, 2019 at 5:29 PM
Three-day forecast from the National Weather Service. Friday: High 55, low 36, mostly sunny. Saturday: High 55, low 30, mostly sunny. Sunday: High 57, low 32, partly cloudy.
Three-day forecast for Friday and the weekend (January 25-27) from the National Weather Service.

After a rainy and windy start to Thursday, we’ll settle in to a cool and mostly sunny weekend with high pressure firmly in control of our weather.

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The (rest of the) week ahead: January 22-27

/ January 22, 2019 at 1:21 PM
National Weather Service forecast for Charleston from January 22-28, 2019.

The temperature rollercoaster rides on. This morning, we were in the 20s in many spots in the Lowcountry, but as winds begin to turn more easterly and then southerly, the warm air (and moisture) pump will be back in place for a couple days. (We’re already up to the low 50s as of 1PM.) This will be followed by a more prolonged period of below-normal temperatures after a frontal passage Friday.

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