Weather system to end Saturday afternoon; troopers warn roadways will still be dangerous

Forecasters were expecting additional freezing precipitation early Saturday before the winter storm system comes to an end, and public safety officials say roadways and travel will still be hazardous.

Snow showers are likely during the first part of Saturday, with clouds remaining in the afternoon and highs reaching the mid 30s, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters were predicting sunny skies and highs in the 40s on Sunday.

Temperatures in Rock Hill hovered in the upper 20s throughout Friday afternoon, and the area had received .75 to an inch of winter precipitation, according to Bill Martin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greenville. That precipitation varied from rain and freezing rain to sleet and snow, and different parts of the area were receiving varying amounts of each.

“Every place isn’t going to be exactly the same,” Martin said. “We’re not expecting a lot of change.”

The precipitation halted at times on Friday in what Martin called “a lag,” but he said scattered showers would continue into the night with a “significant” chance of freezing rain until around midnight. After that, he said, there would be a chance of light snow until sunrise Saturday with an overnight low of about 25 degrees.

“We’ve probably already seen the heaviest of this event,” Martin said Friday afternoon.

Law enforcement officials were concerned as the continuing showers threatened to put another layer of ice on the already-slick roadways. Rock Hill Police said they handled about 10 wrecks Friday.

Lance Cpl. Gary Miller said the S.C. Highway Patrol had not responded to any major incidents through Friday evening, but troopers are urging people to remain off the roadways and indoors.

“Most people have heeded the warning and tried to stay home and off the roadways,” he said. “At this point, we’re going to need people to still stay off the roadway unless they absolutely have to (travel). Right now, we’re looking at more of the same.”

Roadways in York, Chester and Lancaster counties were either covered or partially covered by snow and ice Friday evening, according to the S.C. Department of Transportation. Crews will continue working 12-hour shifts for the duration of the storm applying de-icing and anti-icing materials on interstates and primary roads. DOT officials said Friday night that crews from other parts of the state have been dispatched to assist in District 4, which includes York, Chester and Lancaster counties.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Weather system to end Saturday afternoon; troopers warn roadways will still be dangerous."