A warm spell that produced temperatures in the 70s and 80s over the Christmas holiday will come to an end as a strong cold front sends temperatures plummeting in the opposite direction.
Forecast models show the main frontal passage won’t take place until Monday afternoon, allowing mild conditions to linger before the cold air pours into the region.
Once the front moves through, temperatures will quickly fall, and from Tuesday through the first few days of the new year, conditions are expected to be noticeably chilly.
Generally, afternoon highs will run 10-15 degrees below average from Tuesday through the end of the week, which is a significant departure from seasonal norms for late December.
Overnight lows will fare slightly warmer but will still average 5-10 degrees below normal.
This will translate to morning lows in the 20s and 30s and afternoon highs in the 40s and 50s.
The cold airmass stands in stark contrast to the Christmas period, when lows started out in the 40s and daytime temperatures climbed by more than 30 degrees.
While temperatures during the upcoming cold spell will be far from record-breaking, the chill will serve as a reminder that the Palmetto State and much of the country is heading into the coldest weeks of the year.
The coldest day of the chill is expected to be Tuesday, with the coldest morning occurring on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, highs statewide will struggle to reach 50 degrees, particularly across the Upstate and Midlands. During the overnight hours, temperatures are expected to fall into the 20s area-wide, except along the immediate coastline, where the relatively warmer ocean waters will help moderate the airmass.
The frontal boundary will not have a substantial amount of moisture to work with, so rainfall ahead of the cooler air will be limited.
Any showers that do develop are expected to be light and short-lived on Monday, with no significant precipitation during the extended forecast.
The late-year cold spell is not expected to have much staying power, and temperatures are expected to rebound to above average after New Year’s Day.
Climatologically, the third week of January is typically the coldest period of the year for South Carolina, with morning lows and afternoon highs averaging a degree or two cooler than those observed in late December.