Another blast of Arctic air is settling into South Carolina as the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday week begins, ushering in another prolonged stretch of below-normal temperatures during what is typically the climatologically coldest time of the year.
The arrival of the cold air follows a weekend storm system that brought rain and, in some locations, brief bouts of frozen precipitation.
As the system pulls away from the region, the stage is set for several mornings of hard freezes and temperatures that are well below average.
Forecast models show temperatures through at least Wednesday running about 10 to 15 degrees below normal for mid-January.
Overnight lows through midweek are expected to bottom out in the low to mid-20s across much of the Upstate, with lower 30s along the coast.
The coldest morning across the Midlands and Upstate is expected to be Wednesday, when some communities could experience wind chill values in the teens.
Morning temperatures could approach thresholds for what is known as a Cold Weather Advisory, which are issued by National Weather Service meteorologists.
Regardless of whether the advisory criteria is officially met, residents are urged to take precautions, such as checking on neighbors and pets during the extended cold spell.
In colder locales, it will also be necessary to ensure pipes are well insulated or allow indoor faucets to drip warm water.
The St. John’s Fire District, which serves several of the southern islands, reminds residents that if space heaters are used, they should be kept at least three feet away from flammable materials, operated only in well-ventilated areas and never left unattended.
Several house fires have already been reported across the state in connection with heating devices over meteorological winter.
Despite the apparent abundant sunshine during the shortened workweek, daytime temperatures will struggle to reach the 50s in most areas.
Climatologically, mid-January is the coldest period of the year across the Palmetto State.
Average lows often hover near freezing, while highs typically struggle to climb out of the 50s.
Prolonged stretches of below-normal temperatures are not unusual during this time period, though they have become less frequent in recent decades due to the planet’s ever-changing climate.
Long-range outlooks suggest the colder-than-normal weather could persist through much of the end of January before a warmer pattern becomes established.
