We had another record warm day in the Lowcountry today. The high at the airport reached 86°, breaking the record of 83° set in 2017. Despite the seabreeze making more of an inroads today, Downtown Charleston appears to have tied its record high as well, topping out at 79° to match the mark on March 1, 1918.

We will have one more day of record-challenging temperatures on Thursday before some of the extreme warmth begins to subside. Highs should top out once again in the mid-80s, getting within spitting distance of the record high of 85° set in 1997. This is despite some additional cloud cover and perhaps a few showers and maybe a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening hours as southwesterly winds ahead of a cold front continue to strengthen across the area. Most of us will get the day in rain-free, though, with the better risk of showers and storms to our north near a frontal boundary. (This might or might not be such a great thing considering the absolute onslaught of pollen that continues across the Lowcountry!)

February — and meteorological “winter” — will close on an abnormally warm note. Today’s high of 86° at the airport tied the record high first set in 1962. This stretch of record warmth looks to continue as we kick off March and meteorological spring, but there are signs that cooler weather is on the horizon, both this weekend and in the longer term.

Mostly sunny skies and westerly winds will combine to bring temperatures in striking distance of additional records on Tuesday. Highs across the area will generally top out in the low-to-mid-80s, with the warmest weather away from the coast. The seabreeze is going to have a tough time getting too far inland with the persistent and occasionally breezy west winds, which should spread the 80s onto the barrier islands. The beaches should run much cooler, with temperatures in the low-to-mid-70s right on the coast.

The record high for Tuesday is 86°, set in 1962. While we may not tie or break that record, the record high minimum temperature of 63° set in 2021 certainly looks attainable.

We will continue to get near record highs for a good chunk of the rest of the week before a cold front — and perhaps some strong storms — approach the area Friday.

We’re back in the 80s starting today as much warmer-than-normal temperatures continue across the Lowcountry. We may once again threaten record highs over the next few days with temperatures topping out in the low to mid-80s each day through Friday. Lows in the mid-60s most days (except for Wednesday, the result of a weak front) will also challenge record high minimum temperatures across the region — indeed, this remains unusually warm weather for this point in the year and The Pollening should, unfortunately, continue apace.

Changes are coming later this week for the weekend, though. A strong cold front looks to approach the area Thursday into Friday, which will shift the airmass more substantially and get temperatures back within striking distance of early March normals. This will come with the risk for strong to severe thunderstorms on Friday afternoon, with strong winds expected even outside of thunderstorms. We’ll want to watch this closely for later this week, but there’s still model difference right now in the exact track of the storm system. Stay tuned.

Regardless of what pans out with the severe weather threat, we’ll have a much more seasonable — but still warmer-than-normal — weekend ahead with highs topping out in the low 70s Saturday and the upper 60s on Sunday. Lows will fall back to earth as well, with the first lows in the 40s since February 20 in the forecast. The good news in all this is that we should see plenty of sunshine this weekend to go along with the more comfortable temperatures. (Just take some precautions against the pollen if you are sensitive to it.)

Our recent string of record warmth, punctuated by a high of 86° today that breaks last year’s record of 84°, takes a pause this weekend as a backdoor cold front stalls out near the area. Showers filling in tonight will peak overnight as low pressure develops along the coast. As this low pressure pulls away during the day Saturday, so will the chance for rain. Bottom line for precipitation: Keep rain gear handy, but you may not end up needing it. Cloud cover and high pressure wedging in from the north will keep temperatures well below where they have been recently, but still above normal, peaking in the low 70s.

Said front lifts back north of the area on Sunday, bringing in a little more in the way of sunshine and warming temperatures back into the mid-70s. This is roughly 10° above normal for this point in the year, but the record books will remain intact as the record high of 83° set in 1996 looks to remain safe. By Monday, we should be back into the 80s as ridging re-establishes itself aloft.

Our warm spell peaks on Thursday on the heels of a second consecutive day where we’ve at least tied the record high. Temperatures will soar into the mid-80s, getting within striking distance of the record high of 86° set just last year. We’ll see a few more clouds ahead of an approaching backdoor cold front, but we look to remain rain-free for one more day.

After setting a new record high on Tuesday (83°, breaking the record of 82° last set in 2019), we’ll take another shot at the record books on Wednesday as highs look to once again top out in the lower 80s. The NWS forecast explicitly ties the record high of 82° last set in 2018, and it’s certainly plausible we’ll break that record.

Thursday will represent the peak of the warmth before a cold front gets closer on Friday. The record high of 86° on Thursday, while not explicitly forecast to be broken, will still be well within striking distance and has a chance to fall. Friday’s high of 82° will also be in range of the record high of 84°, though that record may be a little tougher to realize with increasing cloud cover ahead of a cold front that will cool things down markedly for Saturday (and bring some rain chances, as well). That cooldown will be short-lived, though, as we head back well above normal for Sunday and beyond.

After highs topped out around 78° today, we’ll once again challenge (and likely reach) 80° for the third time so far in 2023 on Tuesday as high pressure continues to build across the area. We’ll be in a mix of clouds and sun throughout the day with perhaps a shower or two later in the day/early evening as some upper-level energy glances the area.

The record high for Tuesday is 82°, first set in 1991 and then tied in 2019. We will get within striking distance, especially if cloud cover thins out a bit more. It’s also worth noting that the forecast low temperature of 60° is only five degrees below the normal high for this point in the year, and is just one degree below the record high minimum temperature of 61° set in 1989.

High pressure at the surface and aloft will keep very warm temperatures in the forecast for much of the week with no rain to show for it as strong subtropical ridging more characteristic of late spring/summer builds across the area. Put another way: It’s a scary week to be a record high at the North Charleston climate site.

The bad news is that we’re going to see some rain on Friday (probably midday through mid-afternoon). The good news is that it will be short-lived, and that we will have a rain-free weekend for the first time since the first weekend of 2023!