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.
You’d be forgiven if you thought this week’s forecast was something straight out of early June, but no, it indeed is the forecast for the third week of April. High pressure ridging overhead will keep the weather generally quiet, with the storm track staying to our north. Expect highs in the mid-to-upper 80s on Monday and Tuesday, with cloud cover ticking up Tuesday into Wednesday as temperatures briefly cool down mid-week. We’ll warm back up into the mid-to-upper 80s to close out the week ahead of a front, which could bring a slight shower or storm chance to the area — along with cooler temperatures — for the weekend.
It was a very soggy Thursday with rainfall records falling across the area before the morning was out. Fortunately, the payoff is here, and it’ll be pretty great (albeit a bit windy to start). Friday will be very, very sunny, and a bit cooler than the previous couple days. We’ll start in the mid-50s, warming to the mid-70s in the afternoon. The only real fly in the ointment will be the wind, with gusts to 30 MPH possible at times as high pressure builds in.
Saturday will start even a little cooler, with lows around 50° expected before we warm to the mid-70s in the afternoon under predominantly sunny skies once again. It’ll still be a bit breezy during the day, with winds generally in the 10-15 MPH range, but it’ll be overall a great day to get outdoors. The 80s return on Sunday, and even warmer weather will follow next week.
Thursday will be a busy weather day as showers and thunderstorms move across the area in association with a cold front. It’ll be a breezy day — expect gusts approaching, if not exceeding, 40 MPH at times especially on bridges and overpasses. We’ll have a Wind Advisory in effect starting at 8am as a result.
Rain will likely greet us in the morning and should be around for much of the day. Embedded thunderstorms will be possible as well, and if enough instability can be realized, a few damaging wind gusts will be possible. The better risk for severe weather will stay to our south, though, where more quality moisture will be available. Still, even without severe storms, wet soils may allow for some tree damage at lower wind speeds. Sporadic power outages could be an issue, so be ready just in case. Before it’s over, we can generally expect an inch to an inch and a half of rain in most spots, with locally heavier amounts possible.
Temperatures will be quite mild and muggy; expect to start the day in the upper 60s with highs peaking in the mid-to-upper 70s, tempered by rainfall.
Showers and thunderstorms should exit by evening, and the weather will continue to improve from there, with a nice stretch of sunny and increasingly warm weather for Friday and the weekend.
Tuesday will turn a little warmer as winds continue to blow southerly on the backside of high pressure. We start the day in the mid-50s, warming to around 80° in the afternoon as clouds mix in more prominently into the sky character. No rain, though we will likely see some evening coastal flooding once again with high tide around 9:34 PM thanks to the recent new moon and continued onshore flow.
Viewing conditions look good for Monday’s partial solar eclipse across the Charleston area. It’ll be a warmer than the past few days, too. Expect to start the day in the upper 40s before warming to the mid-70s in the afternoon. The eclipse starts just before 2 PM, peaks around 3:10 PM with about 70% of the sun obscured by the new moon, and ends just before 4:30 PM. You’ll need eclipse glasses to experience this one — don’t look directly into the sun! If you don’t have your eclipse glasses from 2017, you can use a pasta strainer to project the shadow of the eclipse down onto another surface; the shadows will have a curved look, especially as we head toward peak eclipse.
A great weekend of weather awaits for all sorts of outdoorsy things, including the Bridge Run and Flowertown. Expect plenty of sunshine with just a few clouds at times as high pressure remains in control across the area.
A weak front dropping southward across SC as of this writing will reinforce some cooler temperatures for Saturday. We’ll start the day in the mid-40s, warming to just the upper 60s to around 70° in the afternoon, which is a few clicks below normal. However, this should be optimal for Bridge Runners as the drier air will allow for efficient cooling via perspiration. Winds out of the north could bring a bit of a crosswind at times, but otherwise, no concerns.
Temperatures moderate some for Sunday, as we’re solidly back in the low 70s in the afternoon after another low-to-mid-40s start. Mostly sunny skies will remain the rule, and winds will be generally light. It’ll be another outstanding day to get outside before Spring Break ends.
This stretch of warmer-than-normal temperatures comes to an end on Wednesday as a cold front moves through the area. Showers and thunderstorms will be ongoing ahead of the front, and there will be a risk for a few of those storms to be on the strong to severe side. Damaging wind gusts will be the main concern, but a tornado or two can’t be totally ruled out as the line pushes eastward. If storms take a little longer to get here, that could increase the severe weather threat as well. I’d be prepared for a somewhat stormy morning commute. The good news is that the front should clear the area by evening, sweeping showers and storms offshore and allowing cooler and drier air to work into the area. Windy conditions will be expected so be careful on the bridges.
From there, temperatures run several degrees below normal for the next few days, including Bridge Run weekend. Thursday will be a much sunnier day than Wednesday, but will run almost 10° cooler in the wake of the front. Expect highs to top out in the upper 60s to around 70° in the afternoon. Friday will start even cooler, with lows in the mid-40s yielding to highs in the upper 60s once again under mostly sunny skies.
We’ll start the Bridge Run in the mid-40s and warm to the mid-60s in the afternoon under mostly sunny skies. Dewpoints will run in the low 30s in the morning, dropping to the upper 20s in the afternoon as daytime heating mixes down even drier air. All in all, sweat should be a rather efficient cooling mechanism, and there are otherwise no weather concerns.
We’ll get April off to an almost early June-like start before a front comes through Wednesday and knocks temperatures down to more comfortable levels heading into Bridge Run weekend. (In fact, many of y’all might find it a little chilly!)
We’ve got no weather concerns for Good Friday and the Easter weekend. High pressure will be in control, and skies will be predominantly sunny for the next few days as a result. Temperatures will be on a warming trend throughout the period. We start Friday in the mid-40s and warm to the low 70s in the afternoon with full sunshine and low humidity. As high pressure at the surface shifts offshore a bit, temperatures will moderate. Expect Saturday to start around 50° and warm to the mid-to-upper 70s, while Easter Sunday will feature lows in the mid-50s and highs in the low 80s in the afternoon. All in all, a great weekend to get outside a bit (just mind the pollen!)
