Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Will Ida bring rain to the Midlands?

The remnants of Hurricane Ida might dump a couple of inches or rain on the Midlands Tuesday ... or it might not.

The uncertainty revolves around a high pressure system hanging over the east coast on Monday. If the high sticks around long enough, it’ll steer the remains of Ida south of the Midlands. If the high moves out early, we’ll be drenched.

At midday Monday, two major computer models the National Weather Service uses offered very different forecasts, said Mike Cammarata, science operations officer at the Columbia office. One called for less than a quarter of an inch of rain. The other called for up to 2.5 inches.

The official National Weather Service forecast leans toward the wetter projection, expecting rain to begin early Tuesday and to remain heavy throughout the day, with accumulations of an inch or more.

Ida, which hovered off the Gulf Coast on Monday, serves as a reminder hurricane season continues through the end of November.

While tropical rain in November is rare in South Carolina, at least four other tropical systems have impacted the state during the 11th month — in 1904, 1946, 1985 and 1994. Hurricane Kate dumped 1.97 inches of rain on Columbia on Nov. 22, 1985.

— Joey Holleman

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