A cold front is bringing the coldest air of the season into the Palmetto State this weekend. That front will have cleared the coast by Friday evening and temperatures will remain quite cold through the entire weekend. No winter precipitation is expected, but behind the cold front, dramatically colder air will arrive with gusty northwest winds 25 to 30 mph. Winds will weaken Friday night, and overnight lows will be in the teens in much of the Upstate. Areas west of I-85 will likely only reach the 30s for highs Saturday afternoon, with widespread temperatures in the middle to low teens early Sunday morning.
The coldest period of the weekend is expected to late Saturday into early Sunday morning, where the Midlands may also experience temperatures in the teens for several hours. Even coastal areas of the state, including Charleston will experience freezing temperatures in the overnight hours. A hard freeze is possible Sunday morning in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee, and poorly insulated residential pipes could freeze. To help prevent damage, residents should allow faucets to drip overnight.
This unusually cold air mass will moderate Monday, with temperatures continuing to warm next week. The next cold front will impact the state late next week, bringing showers, but only a modest drop in temperatures, with all of the state expected to remain above freezing.
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