Snow in the Midlands? Forecasters say it’s possible on Wednesday

Snow is possible for parts of the Midlands on Wednesday as bitter cold Arctic air continues to stick around.

Wednesday is expected to start off dry in the Midlands, but moisture could drift inland as the day goes on, according to the National Weather Service in Columbia.

As moisture moves in, the eastern portion of the Midlands from Orangeburg to Clarendon, Sumter and Lee counties could see some precipitation, which models favor it to be snow, said forecasters as of Tuesday. The amount, however, would be limited to a brief period early in the afternoon.

Any accumulation of snow should be light. As of Tuesday, forecasters at the Weather Service were expecting less than half an inch for the Midlands. Temperatures are expected to reach a high in the mid to upper 30s.

Skies will clear by Wednesday night.

Other portions of South Carolina are under a winter storm watch. Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Charleston are expecting “wintry weather” that could lead to snow or sleet inland and more freezing rain near the coast on Wednesday.

As much as 3 inches of snow or sleet could fall over the Lowcountry. The Upstate, however, is expected to remain too dry for the possibility of snow.

S.C. Department of Transportation crews announced Tuesday they planned to start pre-treating roads and bridges to prevent them from icing. Crews are expected to concentrate on coastal counties, where the winter weather is expected to strike the most.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 1:54 PM with the headline "Snow in the Midlands? Forecasters say it’s possible on Wednesday."