After one more freezing cold morning across the Tri-County — perhaps the coldest since late November with lows in the 20s spreading well into the metro area — a warming trend will commence to get us over the hump and into the end of the work week. Wednesday afternoon will feature temperatures running about 5-7° above where we topped out on Tuesday, with upper 50s expected under mostly sunny skies. Cloud cover will tick up overnight Wednesday into Thursday as a weak front approaches, possibly even generating a shower or two. We’ll see more sun on Friday with temperatures remaining within spitting distance of normal for mid-January here in Charleston.
We’ve got another chilly Tuesday in store as lows drop below freezing away from the coast tonight. Expect temperatures around 30-31° to begin the day in the Charleston metro area, with upper 20s further inland. Winds will make it feel like the mid-20s, though, so be dressed with layers accordingly.
Despite full sunshine, high temperatures will only top out around 50° in the afternoon. This runs about 10° below normal for this point in January.
Otherwise, no other major weather hazards are expected. Enjoy your Tuesday.
We’ll see some showers and thunderstorms overnight as a cold front approaches the area. No severe weather is expected, but some gusty winds and brief heavy downpours are possible as the line gets through. Rain should clear the area before daybreak.
Once the front is through, temperatures will plummet and clouds will scour out. Expect high temperatures to only top out around the mid-50s with some afternoon sunshine. Then, we’ll have a pretty cold night overnight Monday into Tuesday morning, with lows getting into the upper 20s in the metro area away from the coast. Highs on Tuesday will only top out in the upper 40s despite full sunshine.
After another somewhat hard freeze Wednesday morning, temperatures will begin to moderate some as an upper disturbance approaches from the west and high pressure slips offshore. We might see a few showers Thursday morning as the disturbance swings through, but will close the work week with mostly sunny skies. Showers re-enter the realm of possibilities for the weekend as another front approaches the area. Temperatures will remain generally around if not a click or two below normal.
After a couple slightly warmer days, a reinforcing shot of cooler air arrives for Friday into Saturday. Highs will once again top out in the mid-50s both days despite plenty of sunshine. A freeze is even likely for most of us away from the coast on Saturday morning, too. By Sunday, though, high pressure quickly slips offshore and the southerly return flow turns the heat pump back on, sending us into the low 70s in the afternoon ahead of an advancing cold front. There could be some shower chances late Sunday, but the best risk of rain right now appears to be overnight Sunday into Monday morning as the front swings through. All in all, not a bad-looking weekend with a little something for both cool-weather and warm-weather fans.
Additionally, tomorrow should be only the second time this year that we will not have any coastal flooding concerns in Charleston Harbor. Water levels once again peaked just over 7′ this morning, making it 5 of 6 days so far in 2022 with some tidal flooding to contend with. (The one day there was no flooding? Monday, when the windstorm blew the tide out well below predicted levels.)
After a couple chilly days post-storm, temperatures will trend back up in a big way for Wednesday as high pressure slips southward, sending winds in a more westerly direction. After just topping out at 54° today, look for highs in the mid-60s on Wednesday with a mix of clouds and sun as a coastal trough lingers nearby. The mid-60s continue into Thursday ahead of a cold front which could bring us a few showers late in the day. By Friday, the front will have cleared and temperatures will once again run in the mid-50s as cooler high pressure builds in from the west.
Expect these cool temperatures to persist into Saturday before warming up big-time on Sunday ahead of a more potent front, which by Monday evening into Tuesday could bring us an even cooler airmass linked to strong high pressure building out of the Plains.
Coastal flooding will once again be an issue with Wednesday morning’s high tide, predicted to peak around 7.5′ around the 10am hour. This will once again cause minor to moderate coastal flooding in parts of downtown Charleston and could close a few roads. Be ready to use alternate routes in case you encounter a flooded road.
Tuesday’s weather, in a word: Quieter. It will also be much less windy than today was, though that’s not a hard bar to reach either. We’ll start the day around freezing in the metro area, with upper 20s further inland, while places near the coast will stay above freezing. Mostly sunny skies will be the rule, with cloud cover increasing a bit as the day goes on.
The main weather hazard for Tuesday will be the potential for moderate coastal flooding with the morning high tide. The forecast is for water levels to reach 7.8′ around 9am. This will certainly be high enough to close several roads in downtown Charleston, including the Highway 61 off-ramp from the Ashley River southbound bridge as well as parts of Lockwood Drive. Be ready to use alternate routes if downtown is in your commuting plans.
Tonight’s forecast is rather tricky. We’ve had a good bit of rain across much of the Tri-County today that has helped to knock temperatures back into the 60s in most spots, but it is still conceivable that a few severe thunderstorms may develop overnight.
If you’ve not been a fan of this uncharacteristically warm weather that’s permeated the better part of the last week and a half around here, some good news: changes are coming in a hurry. However, that’s going to mean another round of storms with the potential for a couple of those to be on the strong side.
After some much-needed rain (and some lesser-needed hail) on Thursday, we head into New Year’s Eve with continued warm temperatures as a frontal boundary, which has caused some complications for the weather in the southeastern US this week, remains stalled well to our north. A shower or two can’t totally be ruled out Friday, but much of us should remain dry to close out 2021, and fireworks displays should be unimpeded as a result. Temperatures will once again head well into the 70s in the afternoon, and could challenge the record high of 78° last set in 1996.
New Year’s Day will remain quite warm with a mix of sun and clouds. Highs should stay just shy of the record of 80° we set on January 1, 2021, but they will certainly get close as we remain within the warm sector. Saturday should remain rain-free for the Lowcountry with no appreciable disturbances to speak of to instigate shower activity in our neck of the woods.
The pattern will finally begin to change on Sunday as a potent upper-level system dislodges the stalled front and finally pushes it eastward. Expect showers and even a few thunderstorms ahead of the cold front Sunday afternoon and evening. A few storms could be on the strong side given good upper-level support and probably just enough instability. Highs top out in the mid-70s owing to cloud cover and rain chances. There’s still questions on when the front ultimately gets through, but all indications are that the first Monday of 2022 will be significantly cooler than we’ve experienced in the past couple weeks! Hang in there, cool weather fans — almost there.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will increase in coverage later this afternoon and early evening as the air becomes warmer and more unstable. Highs should reach the low 80s, and may challenge the record of 82° set in 2015.
Given plentiful wind shear and the unusual amount of instability available in late December, there will be a risk for a few storms to turn strong to severe, particularly away from the immediate coast. Damaging wind gusts will be the primary concern, but a storm or two could rotate and produce a brief tornado as well. A widespread severe weather outbreak is not likely, but you’ll want to stay close to trusted and reliable sources of weather information throughout the afternoon and evening in case watches and warnings are required.
