Atlantic high pressure will keep its hold across the area, and as a result, we’ll stay quite warm continuing into Tuesday. Cloud cover will act as a bit of a governor on just how warm we get, but we should expect another day of upper 70s across much of the area. It won’t be record heat, though: the record high for Tuesday is 82°, last set in 2015, which appears safe (unlike today’s record high of 78°, which we tied).

Cooler weather is still several days away, but it does look like we’ll begin to see things cool off as we kick off the first work week of 2022. Stay tuned…

A reinforcing cold front will drop through the area tonight, bringing us mostly clear skies overnight and another round of cool air that should help temperatures drop to near freezing in the metro area, and likely right at freezing inland. (We’ll stay a little warmer at the coast.) Make sure pets and plants are in a warm, protected place tonight.

After Thursday, temperatures will warm back into the 60s for Friday and the low 70s for Christmas. We’ll keep fair weather in the forecast through early next week with continued warmer-than-normal temperatures as we approach the end of 2021.

For as cruddy as Tuesday was, Wednesday looks significantly nicer. We’ll keep a late-December feel to the air with highs only getting to about 60° in the afternoon under mostly sunny skies as high pressure builds in from the west. This will begin another rain-free stretch for our area into early next week. High pressure moves to our north and shifts winds around to the northeast for Thursday, keeping us in the 50s despite almost full sunshine. After high pressure moves offshore Friday, we’ll warm up into the 70s for a few days starting on Christmas Day. All in all, looking good for any last-minute gift acquisition.

Get ready for an unsettled and chilly Tuesday with rain and breezy northeast winds for much of the day. Rain could start as early as 1-2am, but will peak during the day with up to 1-1.5” possible in spots as low pressure moves northeastward parallel to the coast.

Chilly high pressure will remain wedged into the area through tomorrow, and the interaction between it and the low pressure system will help kick up northeasterly winds, especially at the coast. We could even see some minor salt water flooding with the 9:02am high tide as the wind could push the tidal anomaly close to 7’.

Elsewhere, this wind will make temperatures feel even cooler than they already will be, with wind chills in the 30s possible well into mid-morning. Winds notwithstanding, the forecast high of 51° may very well be optimistic especially given rain falling into the wedge, helping to reinforce the cold air dam across the area.

The good news is that our weather improves beginning Wednesday, and we’ll be on our way to a warming trend with much more sunshine heading into and beyond Christmas.

We’re turning much cooler for Tuesday as high pressure wedges into the area from the north in the wake of a cold front which will pass through overnight, perhaps bringing a few showers with it as it moves by. Southwest winds in the low levels will lift moisture over the high pressure wedge, producing ample cloud cover with occasional light showers possible throughout the day. This will act as a strong governor on temperatures, which may not break 60° in the afternoon.

We should see another round of minor coastal flooding around the 10:18 AM high tide Tuesday morning. Be ready for salt water on a few area roads, especially around Gadsden Creek (Fishburne/Hagood corridors near the Citadel and the Joe). Widespread coastal flood impacts are not expected.

After a foggy start, the temperature forecast could be a bit tricky on Sunday as we see how entrenched a wedge of high pressure from the north can get across the area. If the wedge can build in and hold up (additional cloud cover would help), temperatures may not get out of the 60s. If the wedge comes out on the weaker side and erodes a bit, there’s a chance we may once again reach the low to mid-70s in spots. Recent model guidance has trended back warmer from earlier today, but the wedge can sometimes be stronger than what guidance will depict. The good news is that the forecast remains rain-free regardless. Just be ready to make quick wardrobe adjustments if needed.

There will once again be a risk for shallow coastal flooding around the 8:26 AM high tide. Water levels should reach 7.3-7.5′ in the harbor, perhaps on the higher end of this depending on the extent and strength of northeasterly winds. Be ready for a few road closures in downtown Charleston tomorrow morning, but widespread problems are currently not expected.

Mostly sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures will reign once again today as we remain under the influence of high pressure centered over the Gulf. Westerly winds with a touch of a downslope component will help temperatures warm some 8-10° above normal for early December. Warm weather fans, rejoice! Cool weather fans…I’m sorry.

We hit 70° at the airport today for the first time since November 21, when we topped out at 75°. We’ll head north of 70° again on Thursday after starting the day in the low 40s in the metro (upper 30s further inland). Looks like we’ll top out in the low-to-mid 70s in the afternoon, with slightly cooler air at the immediate coast keeping temperatures in the upper 60s at the beaches. All in all, a fairly stellar December day (for our warm weather fans, anyway).

The 70s could continue all the way through next Monday before another frontal passage knocks temperatures back into the low 60s on Tuesday. Overall, the Climate Prediction Center outlook favors warmer-than-normal temperatures over the next couple weeks after what was a rather chilly November, tying 1940 for ninth-coolest November on record at the airport climate site with an average temperature of 54.1°. (Records began at the airport climate site in March of 1937.)

A freeze is expected overnight into Tuesday morning across much of the Lowcountry away from the immediate coast and near bodies of water. Make sure sensitive plants are covered and your pets are inside and warm!

Once we clear the chilly start, it’s going to turn out to be a really nice day across the area as highs head into the low 60s under brilliant, unfettered sunshine — a rare no weather worries day! Quiet weather continues for the next several days as a warming trend commences heading into the end of the week, in which the 70s will make a return.

The cherry on top? Tomorrow’s the last day of hurricane season — something we all can celebrate.

Sweater alert for Tuesday! We’ll start the day a little breezy and much cooler as a polar airmass takes residence in our neck of the woods. Air temperatures should bottom out in the mid to upper 30s away from the locally warmer coastline, but factor in the wind and it’ll feel closer to 30-32°. We’ll see predominantly sunny conditions throughout the day with just a few passing clouds at times in the afternoon; despite this, temperatures look to go no higher than the low 50s. Make sure your pets have a warm place to be tonight.

As we get into Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, winds will come down and allow radiational cooling to develop, which should be enough to get us our first freeze of the year in many spots (with widespread frost elsewhere). Lows look to bottom out from the mid-30s away from the immediate coast to possibly some upper 20s well inland. (Areas around Lake Moultrie should stay a touch warmer thanks to the influence from the warmer waters.) You’ll definitely want to make sure pets and plants have a warm place to be.

After one more frosty morning on Thanksgiving, temperatures will moderate back into the 60s in the afternoon, where we’ll stay for a couple days before a reinforcing shot of cooler air arrives in time for the weekend.