A cold front will come through Wednesday, knocking temperatures down for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

High pressure to our north will be shifting offshore as Tuesday goes on ahead of a storm system moving through the Ohio Valley, allowing a warm front to push northward into the area during the day. Some of us may see a few showers as this warm front moves northward, especially later in the morning and closer to the coast. They’ll be relatively short-lived, clearing the area during the afternoon, and won’t amount to too terribly much rain for those who see any of it at all. It’ll be a mild day once again, with lows in the mid-50s warming to the mid-70s in the afternoon in the wake of the warm front.

The main weather story for the rest of the work week will be unseasonable warmth courtesy of a ridge building in aloft. Temperatures will run well above normal, with highs approaching 80° particularly Wednesday and Friday (and maybe Thursday, depending on the position of a cold front to the north).

After a near-normal day of temperatures on Monday, we’ll look for a similar performance on Tuesday. Temperatures will start in the mid-40s across much of the area (a little warmer near the coast, a little cooler further inland), and highs will peak around 70° in the afternoon with mostly sunny skies remaining the rule. Winds will be going more southerly during the day as surface high pressure begins to shift offshore. This will set us up for a few days of rather warm temperatures starting Wednesday.

Record lows were tied both at North Charleston as well as Downtown Charleston Tuesday morning as a potent shot of Arctic air swung through the area. The low at the airport fell to 29°, tying the record first set in 1943, while Downtown fell to 32°, tying the record low first set in 1913. A record cold high temperature appears to have been set as well at the airport, with the high only reaching 49° for the day, breaking the record of 54° set in 1968. Downtown also only peaked at 49°, but the record cold high temperature of 46°, set in 1913, remains safe. The freezing temperatures put an end to the growing season, which means that there will be no more Frost and Freeze products from the National Weather Service until the season resumes in March.

The good news is that a warming trend begins Wednesday. Temperatures will bottom out around or below freezing further inland, but should only drop to about the mid-30s closer to the coast and in the metro area. Temperatures will rebound quite nicely under full sunshine, with highs peaking in the mid-60s in the afternoon. This is still a little off the normal high for this point in November, but only by about 5-6° as opposed to 22°! The warming trend continues Thursday into Friday as the airmass continues to moderate under high pressure, with just a few clouds from time to time. Overall, there continues to be no major weather concern this week now that we have last night’s freeze behind us.

A highly anomalous Arctic intrusion is arriving this evening, evidenced by gusty winds 25-30 MPH and plummeting dewpoints across much of the area as of 7PM Monday. Further north, some flurries were reported in the Charlotte metro area and as far south as Hartsville, SC. Here at home, the first freeze of the season will occur for the vast majority of us; ensure pets and plants are protected and safe tonight as temperatures will fall into the 20s. Wind chills could drop into the upper teens, prompting a Cold Weather Advisory for Dorchester County. (Layer up!) Despite full sunshine, temperatures may not crack 50° in the afternoon, owing to the strength of the Arctic blast. If these forecasts verify, new record low and record cold high temperatures will be set at the airport: the record low for November 11 is 29°, set in 1943, while the record cold high temperature is 54°, set in 1968.

Plenty of sunshine will continue on Tuesday as high pressure builds across the area from the west, keeping northeasterly flow in place which will keep temperatures on the cool side of normal and also help to elevate the morning high tide into minor flood stage. We’ll start the day in the mid-40s, warming to the upper 60s in the afternoon, which will feel quite comfortable with the sun out. The aforementioned northeasterly winds will run generally in the 5-10 MPH range, which will be enough of a breeze to make it feel a little cooler in the shade.

As mentioned, some coastal flooding will be possible between 5-8am as water levels peak in minor flood stage (7-7.2′) with the 6:11 am high tide. This may have limited impacts in the most vulnerable areas of the peninsula, primarily around the Hagood/Fishburne intersection as well as possibly on parts of Lockwood. Be ready to reroute around any closures.

After the coolest day since late February — the high at the airport only peaked around 57° — we’ll turn warmer on Wednesday as an approaching cold front scours out the wedge of high pressure that brought us a dreary, drizzly Tuesday. We’ll start Hump Day around 50° under mostly cloudy skies once again. A warm front lifting northward will push through the area later in the afternoon, and it’s that warm front along with some breaks in the cloud cover which will help us warm to the mid-to-upper 60s later in the day. Shower chances will return in the evening through the overnight as a band of rain ahead of the cold front moves by.

Showers should depart by the time most of us get Thursday underway. We’ll start in the upper 40s to around 50° once again, warming to the mid-60s in the afternoon with much more in the way of sunshine than we’ve seen so far this week. Clearer skies overnight Thursday will allow Halloween to start a little cooler, generally in the mid-40s in the metro (with lower temperatures possible further inland as well as in some more rural areas). Unfettered sunshine will send temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s in the afternoon. Trick-or-treaters and their accompanying guardians (where applicable) should expect temperatures to fall into the 50s around and after sunset.

More overcast is in store for Tuesday despite low pressure departing the area. The overcast combined with gusty northerly winds and a few lingering showers will keep us on the cool side in the afternoon, with highs only peaking in the low 60s after a start to the day in the mid-50s. Showers should taper off by evening, with a rain-free period expected until Wednesday afternoon.

Pleasant weather continues for the rest of the work week as high pressure remains in control. A dry front will move through overnight Wednesday into early Thursday, bringing along a reinforcing shot of cooler and drier air that will make for a crisp start on Friday.