Winter weather warnings expand in SC’s Midlands as sleet and snow begin to fall
Sleet and snow began to fall in parts of Richland and Lexington counties earlier than initially forecast, as parts of the Midlands remained under a winter storm warning Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
At 9 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service added Richland and Lexington counties to the winter storm warning area. Other counties in the warning area include Kershaw, Fairfield, Lancaster, Chesterfield, Newberry, Saluda and Edgefield. Aiken, Calhoun, Orangeburg, Clarendon, Lee and Sumter counties are under a winter storm advisory.
The warning went into effect at 10 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday, with the greatest threat estimated to come after 5 p.m. Friday, according to the service. But sleeting began in the Columbia-area around 8:45 a.m. along Two Notch Road.
Impacts to the warning area include hazardous driving conditions, power outages and tree damage, the service said.
Most areas are likely to see freezing rain and a build-up of ice along the roads, the service said. The amounts of ice predicted for south of Interstate 20 have increased since Thursday night, with a potential for around a tenth of an inch of ice in some areas, the service said.
The National Weather Service warned drivers to use extreme caution if traveling along roads north of Interstate 20, including Interstates 26 and 77. The S.C. Department of Transportation has been preparing roads across the state for the potential for ice over the last two days.
As of 8 a.m. Friday, a number of Midlands school districts had not canceled class or moved to virtual learning and are operating on a half-day schedule. The Richland 1 and 2 school districts moved their early release times up by 30 minutes Friday morning. Elementary schools in Richland 2 will release at 10:30 a.m., middle schools at 11:15 a.m. and high schools at 12 p.m. In Richland 1, elementary schools will release at 10:30 a.m., high schools at 11:15 a.m. and middle school at 12 p.m.
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.
This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 7:51 AM.
