This week’s stretch of quiet weather comes to an end as we head into the weekend courtesy of a cold front. We hit 90° for the first time at the airport today, and could get close again on Friday, though a surface trough and some energy aloft could combine for a few showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A strong storm can’t be ruled out, either, with gusty winds and some hail a possibility.
More vigorous energy moves into the area as the backdoor front gets closer on Saturday. It’ll be one more very summer-like day with highs approaching 90° in the afternoon, though scattered showers and thunderstorms will be a possibility beginning mid-afternoon on. Off and on showers and thunderstorms remain in the forecast for Sunday, though as the front sinks southward, we’ll turn much cooler — expect highs to run almost 15° cooler than they did on Saturday. Rain chances should peak later in the evening into the overnight before tapering Monday.
High Water-goers, be alert this weekend for quickly changing conditions and be ready to safe shelter if lightning approaches. We usually get kind of lucky with this event and the weather, and hopefully we can keep that stretch going. If not, though, be sure to keep this mantra in mind…”When thunder roars, go indoors!”
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.
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!)
Showers will be coming to an end Thursday morning, yielding a quiet and increasingly warm period for Good Friday and Easter weekend. We should see the rain exit the area by midday, and from there, cloud cover will diminish. It’ll be a cool day in the wake of a cold front; expect highs to only top out in the mid-60s in the afternoon. The breeze will kick up at times as cooler air moves into the area behind the front as well, but it shouldn’t be too terribly gusty, either.
First off, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve not been posting the past few days. I’ve had a fairly significant death in my family that has kept me away from work and weather, and that will keep the posting and podcast schedule fairly bare at times for the next couple weeks. I’ll have more to say on that soon and how you can help if you are interested.
But first, we have a storm system arriving Friday that could pose a potentially significant flooding risk for downtown Charleston Friday night. Low pressure moving across the Gulf Coast states will drive perhaps a few rounds of heavy rain through the metro area starting Friday afternoon and well into the evening. This could coincide with high tide around 7:27pm to produce enough flooding to close roads downtown as well as in vulnerable locations in North Charleston and maybe even Summerville. 2″ or more of rain will be possible in many spots across the Tri-County. Be ready to curtail Friday night plans or find alternate routes in case widespread flooding develops.
Rain will continue into Saturday, though it’ll be more on and off. The heaviest stuff will have pivoted northward, but showers and maybe a thunderstorm should redevelop as a cold front pushes into the area during the afternoon. Severe weather is not expected, thankfully. Saturday’s the warmest day of the weekend with highs in the mid-70s, while post-front, we’ll see a solid 10° drop in high temperatures for Sunday. Clouds will be clearing, though, and we’ll be back in the 70s possibly as early as Monday.
High pressure will lose its grip on the area for Friday and the weekend, allowing some periods of unsettled weather to move in — but don’t fret as we’ll have plenty of rain-free time as well. It’ll stay quite warm, too, with 80s expected each afternoon.
We’ll at least get Friday morning in rain-free ahead of a disturbance that’ll push a cold front into the area Friday afternoon and evening. Showers and a few thunderstorms will be possible by mid-afternoon leading into the commute, but not before we warm back into the 80s once again. A strong storm may not be totally out of the question west of 17-A, but high-res guidance generally shows storms in a weakening trend as they push eastward toward much cooler shelf waters.
Shower and thunderstorm chances persist overnight Friday into Saturday morning before what looks like a break in the action for much of the day. Temperatures start quite mild — think low to mid-60s — and warm back to the low 80s in the afternoon under a mix of sun and clouds. Shower chances should hold off Saturday night and into a good bit of Sunday before returning later in the afternoon and into the evening as another front approaches the area. This front shakes us out of our run of 80s and back below normal for Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Thursday looks like an excellent weather day across the Lowcountry, something out of the late-April playbook but in mid-March. We’ll start the day around 50° once again, warming to the low 80s in the afternoon with maybe a few clouds amongst otherwise clear skies as ridging aloft strengthens briefly for the day. Expect winds generally in the 5-10 MPH range, picking up a little in the afternoon in the wake of a sea breeze. Enjoy!
We’ll get March — and climatological spring — off to a fairly wet start on Friday as moisture overruns the area throughout the day. We start the day within range of normal — generally the upper 40s — but only warm to the mid-60s in the afternoon as rain showers increase throughout the day. There could be some pockets of heavy rain at times, particularly depending on the positioning of a developing low pressure system, but right now the risk for the heaviest rain looks to stay offshore. Still, it’ll be a day for the rain gear as rain looks to continue well into Friday night.
We’ll wake up to much cooler air on Leap Day as a cold front will be long-gone by Thursday morning. Temperatures will start in the mid-40s, warming only to the low 60s at best as high pressure wedges into the area. We’ll get some peeks of sun at times, but the mid-and-high cloud deck will prove formidable. It’ll be a breezy day as well, especially in the early going. By evening, we will start to see more in the way of low-level moisture return to the area, which could bring a few showers late Thursday.
The first of two cold fronts to affect the area this weekend comes through on Friday, bringing showers to the area and maybe even a thunderstorm or two. It’ll be the warmest start to a day this week, with lows bottoming out only in the low 50s. Temperatures should warm to the upper 60s to around 70°, but the rain being around will make it decidedly less nice.
The first front clears the area in time for Saturday, which should be the warmer of the two weekend days. We start the day in the mid-40s while highs head to the mid-to-upper 60s once again under partly cloudy skies. Clouds will tick up as we head into Saturday afternoon and evening as the second front moves by, and there’s an outside shot at a shower or two as it moves through. This front will bring more of a cool shot of air to the area, with lows on Sunday bottoming out in the upper 30s and highs struggling to reach 60° under mostly sunny skies. The chill is short-lived, though: temperatures on Monday head into the upper 60s, while we’re well into the 70s by Tuesday as we close out February and climatological winter.
