A strong cold front is expected to sweep across South Carolina on Thursday, ushering in a sharp drop in temperatures, gusty winds and a chance of snow flurries across higher elevations.
Ahead of the frontal boundary, forecast models show scattered rain showers will be possible on Wednesday, but temperatures are expected to remain above freezing, which is why most of the precipitation will fall in liquid form.
As thermometer readings begin to fall Wednesday night into Thursday, any lingering moisture could result in frozen precipitation but chances are expected to remain confined to the higher elevations, along the South Carolina-North Carolina border region.
The more noticeable impacts will come from the arrival of much colder air and gusty winds, which are expected to develop on Thursday and persist through the weekend.
Winds are forecast to gust around 25 to 35 miles per hour out of the northwest throughout Thursday,
The gusts will be strong enough to bring down small branches and could also contribute to an increased wildfire risk, especially in drier areas.
The coldest air is expected to be in place by Friday morning, when air temperatures are forecast to fall into the teens and 20s across much of the state.
Around the Greenville area, temperatures are expected to dip into the upper teens, while readings around Columbia are forecast to reach the lower 20s.
Even along the coast, temperatures are expected to drop into the mid-20s, which is relatively uncommon for coastal communities, as water temperatures typically help moderate colder air masses.
The cold air mass will be significant enough to prompt the issuance of Cold Weather Advisories across parts of the state, as “feels-like” temperatures, are expected to fall below 20 degrees.
The cold air invasion will make it essential to prepare the “7 Ps”: people, pets, plants, pipes, pools, protecting vehicles and practicing fire safety.
To help protect household plumbing, emergency managers recommend disconnecting outdoor hoses, maintaining indoor heat levels above 55 degrees and insulating exposed or vulnerable pipes.
If those steps cannot be taken, it is advised homeowners allow faucets to drip slightly with warm water during hard freeze conditions to reduce the risk of pipes freezing.
Another frontal boundary late in the weekend is expected to reinforce the cold air, keeping winter conditions in place through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, which is climatologically one of the coldest periods of the year.
