The passage of a cold front will bring an end to morning fog and record-breaking afternoon highs, replacing them with frosty mornings and chilly afternoons as the weather pattern returns to a more typical January feel across the state.
Forecast models show the cold front pushing west to east across the state during the overnight hours from Saturday into Sunday, with temperatures plummeting during the second half of the weekend.
Before the front arrives, showers and even a few thunderstorms will be likely; however, rainfall accumulations look to be rather minimal, at less an inch.
The heaviest precipitation is expected to fall over the Upstate, where some of the precipitation will have a tendency to train over the same area.
In addition to the rain, windy conditions will also be a notable feature around, with gusts reaching between 25 and 35 mph.
The windy conditions might even help induce a wind chill on Sunday evening, but the unsettled conditions will quickly depart the region by sunrise Monday.
Once the cold front pushes through, temperatures will plummet, setting the stage for the coldest weather of the new year.
Hard freeze conditions are expected across much of the state early Monday morning as colder air settles in behind the front.
Overnight lows are forecast to drop into the mid-20s around Greenville, while areas closer to the coast could see temperatures hovering near the freezing mark.
For many communities, the event will mark the first freeze of 2026 and resemble the weather pattern that affected the region between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Despite the sharp drop in temperatures, the cold air mass is not expected to have much staying power.
The country’s main storm track is well to the north, and without a significant snowpack over the Rockies and the Plains, there is little to allow a prolonged cooldown to reach the Southeast.
By the midweek timeframe, temperatures are forecast to rebound to above-average levels once again as the cold air quickly retreats.
Any rainfall that does occur with the system will be welcome news, as the entire Southeast is currently facing abnormally dry or drought conditions.
Typically, the first months of the new year are part of the driest time period, which can lead to increased wildfire concerns during the spring.
Several large fires developed last spring, as vegetation quickly burned because of a lack of rainfall and low soil moisture - a scenario that could be quickly knocking on the door again if precipitation continues to stay at bay.
