Here’s when Midlands residents should expect sleet, snow to start Friday
Snow is again in the forecast for the Midlands heading into Friday, though the National Weather Service says if it comes, there will likely be less than an inch.
Columbia should expect light rain Friday morning, with freezing rain and potentially sleet and snow beginning in the mid to late afternoon.
“I don’t expect a significant change in the forecast overnight,” John Quagliariello, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Columbia, said. “We’re not expecting a sunrise surprise.”
He said if the forecast does change overnight, it would impact predictions for Friday evening. The morning is a bit more locked in.
He added there are a few models that predict heavier snowfall, but those are outliers given current data.
South Carolina was in a similar situation last weekend when a winter storm brought more than 8 inches of snow to parts of the Upstate, shutting down roads, schools and businesses. Some ice and rain made its way to the Columbia area, but not snow. This time, the storm is expected to cover a larger portion of the state, including the Midlands.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for much of the state, including Richland and Lexington counties, from 4 a.m. Friday. until 7 a.m. Saturday.
It will be a cold weekend, with temperatures falling below freezing Thursday night and staying there through at least Saturday morning. Columbia can expect a high of 32 degrees Friday.
The mix of precipitation and freezing temperatures will make driving dangerous throughout the day. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Wednesday, as he did for last week’s storm, to help move resources.
“Those in potentially impacted areas should begin safety preparations now. Please check your local forecasts and stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary once the storm begins,” the governor urged in a statement Thursday.
Several school districts have switched to online learning Friday in anticipation of poor road conditions. Black ice will likely be a concern Friday night and Saturday morning, as the wind chill dips into the teens across much of the state. Rain, snow and sleet are expected to stop statewide by Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The state’s Emergency Management Division warns that power outages are likely as well. Nearly 100,000 outages were reported statewide last Sunday after the previous storm.
This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 4:33 PM.
