Wet winter woes expected across Midlands

All meteorological technology aside, it’s a guessing game if wintry weather expected in the Columbia area Saturday will be snow, ice or a miserable mix.

“Columbia is in the transition zone, making it tricky,” veteran National Weather Service forecaster Dan Miller said Wednesday. “We’d like to provide more certainty, but we can’t yet.”

Some type of frozen precipitation is expected as a cold front meets warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico after a rainy Friday in the Midlands, the forecast says. When and where that happens after sunset Friday is unsettled.

It’s possible the area north of I-20 gets snow and the remainder sleet or more rain, Miller said. Outlying communities are likely to be a bit colder than downtown Columbia with its heat-retaining roads.

Snow accumulation could total 2 inches, slightly more than the normal annual total of 1.5 inches, forecasters said.

Temperatures Saturday will hover around freezing, possibly causing icy roads that make travel troublesome, forecasters say.

It will dip about 15 degrees below normal for a few nights this weekend and into early next week. Sunday will be clear, allowing safer travel for students returning for the resumption of classes Monday at the University of South Carolina, according to the forecast.

Overnight chill could delay the start of classes at Midlands schools Monday, Miller said.

State transportation officials will begin Thursday treating Upstate interstates and major routes with a salt mixture, followed by similar work in the Midlands and the Pee Dee Friday.

Miller’s job requires him to brave the elements early Saturday for the 10-mile trip from his home near Lexington to his office at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Like many Southerners, he doesn’t have much experience with snow-packed and icy roads. “It could be an interesting commute,” Miller said.

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Wet winter woes expected across Midlands."