If you’re looking for a repeat of January’s snowpocalypse, which crippled the Holy City for days as residents hunkered down and looked at the sky in amazement, you might want to look further out than this weekend.
According to @chwx, Weather Underground, and the National Weather Service, the only thing the Lowcountry can count on this weekend is heavy rain and low temperatures.
Though the weather remains fairly sunny and moderate as of Friday afternoon, the NWS warns that showers are “likely” Saturday after 5 p.m. After 8 p.m., the chance of precipitation is up to 100 percent, with one to two inches of rain possible.
It’ll also be a fairly windy weekend, with winds ranging from 8 to 21 miles per hour on Saturday and Sunday.
Chswx.com warns of “locally heavy rainfall possible” on Sunday.
WCBD-TV meteorologist Josh Marthers warned of heavy rain and coastal flooding in the Lowcountry on Facebook Friday afternoon.
“Widespread heavy rain will be likely Saturday night through Sunday afternoon,” Marthers wrote. “Several inches of rain will be possible and could cause some nasty coastal flooding with Sunday morning’s high tide.”
The City of Charleston’s stormwater crews are clearing storm drains throughout the city in preparation for the weekend.
“The predicted rainfall combined with an already projected elevated tide is expected to result in significant flooding throughout Charleston,” the city said in a press release Friday. “According to the current National Weather Service Charleston forecast, rainfall is expected to peak Sunday morning, with a 9 a.m. high tide predicted to be 8.1 feet, which alone is considered major flood stage.”
In other words, get ready to avoid driving downtown at all costs.
Regardless, the chance for South Carolinians to see a tiny bit of snow isn’t too far fetched yet.
“Highs in the low/mid 50s will be possible Saturday and Sunday closer to the coast, then it’s 40s for everyone on Monday as cold air wraps around the departing coastal low,” according to the National Weather Service’s most recent forecast discussion. “It is not completely out of the question that a few snow flurries could occur late Monday night, especially over interior S.C.”
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