How much snow will the SC Upstate get this weekend? We break it down

Four to 8 inches of snow could fall on the Upstate this weekend and will likely stick around for a while due to record-breaking low temperatures in the 20s.

Once the snow starts, it will likely pile up on roads quickly because of cold temperatures ahead of the storm, the National Weather Service said.

“Impacts to travel will be significant,” the Weather Service said.

Friday morning, the Weather Service upgraded from Winter Storm Watch to Winter Storm Warning.

The agency also issued an extreme cold watch for the mountains from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon and for the rest of the area from Saturday evening through Sunday morning.

The record low for Jan. 31 is 31 degrees set on 1934, the Weather Service said.

The high pressure system was coming in from the north, pushing snow into the Interstate 40 corridor in North Carolina Friday afternoon. Highs will be around 10 degrees below normal.

Snow will move eastward later Friday and into early Saturday morning and is expected to peak Saturday morning into afternoon. It will be gone by daybreak Sunday

The most snow will likely fall along the North Carolina/Tennessee border and east of I-77. The Weather Service said the snow will be powdery, making it less likely to cause power outages.

On Monday, temperatures will rise to the upper 30s to low 40s and into the mid to upper 40s by Wednesday.

“Overnight lows will still remain cold and well below freezing, with persistent melt/freeze cycles each day,” the Weather Service said.

Frank Strait, Department of Natural Resources severe weather liaison, said, “The cold will keep the snow cover around for a while. A little will melt each day and then refreeze each night. Where the heavier snow falls over the northern part of the state, we may see travel problems persist until the middle of next week. On the other hand, most of the Lowcountry should be in good shape by Monday afternoon.”

Precipitation may return mid-week, but it’s too early to tell whether it will be rain or snow, the Weather Service said.

Duke Energy, meanwhile, says wind gusts pose the greatest risk to the power grid and service restoration.

“Crews cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds reach 30 mph or higher, which may slow restoration in some areas,” the utility said.

Rick Canavan, Duke Energy storm director, said, “Dry, powdery snow is less likely to affect power equipment, but strong wind gusts can still bring down trees and cause outages.”

Greenville Police Chief Howie Thompson encouraged people to just stay home.

“During the last winter event, many of you heeded the warnings and we saw fewer wrecks than usual - but our officers and firefighters still responded to too many crashes. When cars are out on icy streets, plows can’t clear effectively, first responders are exposed on slick roadways and precious minutes are lost getting to true emergencies. Please help us keep everyone safe by staying in.”

Greenwood School District 50 announced an eLearning Day for Monday. As of midday Friday no other district had announced plans.

This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 12:52 PM.