Well, it certainly appears as if the third time will be the charm for snow-lovers in the Lowcountry as a long-anticipated winter storm system impacts the area this weekend. A Winter Storm Warning goes into effect Saturday at 7AM and will run until Sunday at 1PM. Meanwhile, an Extreme Cold Warning will also go into effect Saturday at 7PM until noon Sunday for air temperatures in the mid-to-upper teens and wind chills dropping perhaps as low as 3° above zero in the morning — extraordinarily rare cold air for this part of the world.
A cold and snowy weekend lies ahead as the storm we in the weather enterprise have been watching closely for the last several days in guidance looks to become a reality for a pretty solid winter weather event for this neck of the woods on Saturday followed by bitterly cold temperatures on Sunday. A Winter Storm Watch and Extreme Cold Watch have been issued by the National Weather Service for much of the weekend, so that’s how you know it’s getting real.
Another chilly day lies ahead for Thursday as a dry cold front slides southward across the area, reinforcing the cooler airmass that’s been in place for much of this past week so far. Temperatures will start in the upper 20s to around 30° for yet another subfreezing start this week. We’ll see some clouds at times, with greater cloud cover expected as we get into the evening, but otherwise there should be plenty of sunshine. Despite the sun, though, the reinforcing shot of cooler air keeps highs pinned to the upper 40s to around 50°.
While it won’t be quite as chilly as Tuesday was, the rest of the week will continue to feature below-normal temperatures as Arctic air continues its residence across the area. Wednesday starts in the upper 20s, warming to the low 50s in the afternoon under a mix of sun and clouds. A dry front will sag south across the area Thursday, which will cool things off and cloud up the skies a little bit. Temperatures Thursday once again start in the upper 20s, warming to the upper 40s to about 50° in the afternoon. The cloud cover insulates us a bit overnight Thursday into Friday, with lows only dropping to the low 30s (and staying above freezing toward the coast). Highs Friday warm to the mid-50s as more onshore flow takes over.
Tuesday will get off to a very cold start across the area as Arctic air continues to spill in, sending air temperatures to the low 20s and maybe even some upper teens further inland. Northerly winds around 5-10 MPH will make it feel closer to the low-to-mid-teens in the morning, prompting a Cold Weather Advisory that will run until 9am. Bundle up carefully and with plenty of layers for heading out to work or school as this is bitter cold for this part of the world. With cold air continuing to blow in, highs on Tuesday only peak in the low-to-mid-40s despite plenty of sunshine. This is well below normal for late January — climatological average high temperatures are around 61° at this point in the still-young year. Stay warm!
