The development of a coastal storm system is expected to bring a renewed chance for precipitation across the state late in the weekend, just ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. While the overall setup supports precipitation interacting with colder air, the timing and expected path of the storm system do not appear to be favorable for significant snowfall accumulations across the Palmetto State.
Forecast models show moisture spreading across the region Saturday evening as the storm system develops offshore and moves away later on Sunday.
Ahead of the system, strong southwesterly winds during the first half of the weekend will allow temperatures to climb near seasonal averages.
Rain is likely to arrive while temperatures are in the 40s and 50s, which raises questions about how much precipitation will be available once temperatures fall into the 30s overnight into Sunday.
Forecast models suggest that moisture will be diminishing as colder air arrives, with communities seeing less than a 20% chance of snowfall greater than an inch, and most locales seeing little to no accumulation.
The greatest potential for frozen precipitation exists across the higher elevations and between the Interstate 20 and Interstate 95 corridors.
Any snowflakes that do fall are likely to struggle to stick, especially on warmer surfaces such as roads and sidewalks.
Despite the lack of widespread wintry precipitation, rainfall can still lead to slick spots developing on roadways, which will be possible on Sunday.
Of particular concern will be lingering moisture on the ground Sunday evening as another arctic air mass overtakes the region.
As colder air pours in, temperatures are expected to drop sharply, raising the risk for any standing leftover water to freeze, especially on bridges and overpasses.
Everyone across the state will begin the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in a deep freeze.
Morning low temperatures on Monday are forecast to fall into the mid-20s across Greenville and the Upstate, with readings closer to 30 degrees along the coast.
Wind chill values will make it feel even colder at times, with feels-like temperatures in the teens and 20s.
Following the latest cold snap, winter’s chill will not be going anywhere - temperatures will briefly rebound to near normal levels later in the week, but more cold air invasions appear likely before January wraps up.
