MORNING HEADLINES | Lowcountry residents who were thrilled for a Wednesday snow day are now impatiently waiting for the ice to melt so things can get back to normal.
Snow and sleet that fell earlier in the week re-froze to create icy roads overnight due to temperatures that dropped into the teens. The layer of ice, which can be difficult to see, is keeping roads in dangerous conditions even as the area thaws. Local governments announced offices and services would remain suspended through Friday. Likewise, schools across the Lowcountry remain closed.
But there’s supposed to be sunshine this morning and temps will be in the mid- to upper-30s by 10 a.m.
The S.C. Department of Transportation said its crews are across the Lowcountry this morning working to treat icy patches on roads. Officials said while main arteries are mostly clear, neighborhoods and secondary streets are treacherous patchworks of black ice.
- SAFETY CHECK: For real-time updates on opened or closed bridges, head to this link.
Despite the conditions, many businesses across the area are reopening and welcoming customers again. Most gas stations along Savannah Highway and several other shops are open, as are the majority of fast-food restaurants. Several establishments in downtown Charleston and North Charleston have reopened as well.
The Charleston International Airport was officially cleared to resume operations after the airfield was shut down due to the weather. Crews from Joint Base Charleston and Charleston International have been working through the week to clear runways blanketed with ice and snow. Delays are expected Friday morning.
- To see an array of photos of Charleston’s Wednesday snow day, click here.
In Friday’s issue of the Charleston City Paper:
CP OPINION: Sad to see you go, Joe. “Joe Biden didn’t need to come to Charleston Sunday. There were no votes to be gained, no campaign cash to be collected.”
- CP CARTOON: Ariail: March in lockstep
- CP CARTOON: Stegelin: A message from Loftis
CP COVER STORY: New book from Hendrix casts spell on Charleston. When Grady Hendrix announced the subject of his latest horror novel, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, he received a lot of feedback. The new book quickly vaulted to the bestseller list of The New York Times. Hendrix will be in town Jan. 27.
CP NEWS: Bike deaths up across state as total traffic fatalities drop. Overall highway deaths in South Carolina in 2024 dropped to the lowest level in four years, according to state data. But the number of deaths of bicyclists rose last year by almost 50%.
CP FOOD: Charleston-area bars serving up hot drinks to keep patrons warm. While we dream of a summer sipping frozies on patios around town and in area bars and restaurants, we’re now seriously contemplating warm beverages to help us deal with this cold, cold weather.
- CP FOOD: Lillian’s now open on Congress Street. The name “Harold’s” has long occupied the building at 247 Congress Street. With a history dating back to 1929, the original Harold’s Cabin served Westside residents through the 1950s as a neighborhood deli.
In other recent headlines:
S.C. auditor resigns amid federal investigation into multibillion-dollar errors. Two of South Carolina’s financial officers have now resigned in the wake of multibillion-dollar accounting blunders that prompted a federal securities investigation.
McMaster taps a North Charleston man to oversee the probation, parole agency. A deputy director for South Carolina’s prisons agency is the governor’s pick to lead the department tasked with supervising people completing their sentences outside the razor wire.
How would the TikTok ban impact S.C. influencers? The U.S. government’s decision to ban social media app TikTok due to its ties to China-based company ByteDance could mean some people lose their primary source of income.
Revival of failed VC Summer nuclear project inches closer to fruition. On Wednesday, the state-owned utility Santee Cooper put out a request for proposal, or RFP, looking for a potential buyer to purchase the unfinished nuclear reactors at VC Summer and finish the job.
Bill requiring lab-grown food to be clearly labeled advances in S.C. A bill mandating the clear labeling of lab-grown food sold in South Carolina advanced Thursday to the Senate floor.
Abortion opponents raise ambitions, sensing political support. The March for Life on Friday will bring together a movement invigorated by some early moves of the second Trump administration.
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