Congaree River is flooding. Freezing temps are coming. When will the sun be back?

Wet and cold is good for a dog’s nose but it doesn’t make for a great weather forecast.

Several days of rain has pushed the Congaree River over flood stage and it will continue to rise over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service.

And making things worse is that temperatures are expected to drop to the low 30s overnight Thursday and Friday morning. That means any standing water on roadways could be slippery and dangerous.

“You need to be careful (driving) in any areas where water collects,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Anderson.

The Congaree River was at 120.2 feet in Lower Richland Thursday morning, more than five feet above flood stage. That level was expected to rise to 121.6 over the weekend.

“The boardwalks in the Congaree National Park and some roadways in that area will be flooded for the forseable future, the middle of next week,” Anderson said.

In downtown Columbia, the Congaree was at 14.75 feet Thursday morning, and was expected to crest Saturday morning at 15.5 feet. That is still well below the flood stage of 19 feet.

However the water is high enough to flood the West Columbia and Cayce riverwalks. And a flood advisory will be in place until 5 p.m. Saturday.

The West Columbia Riverwalk north of the Blossom Street bridge was underwater and closed beginning Wednesday night. And Cayce closed its riverwalk south of the bridge Thursday morning.

The good news is that the rain ended Thursday morning and temperatures will begin to improve substantially Friday.

Fall returns on Saturday with sunny skies and highs in the mid 60s.

Partly sunny skies and mild temps are on tap for the week of Thanksgiving.

This story was originally published November 15, 2018 at 11:15 AM.