Winter storm warning issued in Midlands as freezing rain and sleet forecast to be threats
A winter storm watch has been upgraded to a warning for parts of the Midlands as winter weather is forecast to impact South Carolina Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Counties in the warning area, which was updated at 4 p.m. Thursday, include Kershaw, Fairfield, Newberry, Saluda and Edgefield. Richland, Lexington, Aiken, Calhoun, Orangeburg and Sumter counties are under a winter storm advisory.
The warning, which goes into effect at 10 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday, with the greatest threat estimated after 5 p.m. Friday, according to the service.
The storm is expected to hit the area with freezing rain and sleet, according to the latest forecast.
Impacts to the warning area include hazardous driving conditions, power outages and tree damage, the service said.
A winter storm advisory for light ice accumulations has been issued for areas along and just south of I-20, according to the afternoon briefing.
While snow remains possible in the wintry mix of precipitation, no significant accumulation of the white stuff is expected. That’s not the case with freezing rain, the National Weather Service said.
In the northern part of the Midlands, above the Interstate 20 corridor, a quarter inch of ice could form during the storm, according to the service. A small amount of a mix of sleet and snow could also build up on the ground in those areas — primarily on Friday afternoon and evening.
Rain showers are also expected, and up to half an inch of that precipitation could be recorded in the Columbia area, according to the briefing. There’s 100% chance of precipitation, the forecast shows.
“A difference in 1-2 (degrees) can be the difference between widespread impactful ice accumulation and precipitation remaining all rain,” meteorologists said in the briefing.
Any ice, snow or sleet can create hazardous travel conditions for drivers, and could impact the Friday morning and evening commutes, the National Weather Service said.
“Drivers should anticipate hazardous travel, with slick, icy roads and walkways from noon Friday until Saturday morning. Black ice is possible into Sunday morning,” Richland County government officials said. “The county encourages residents to conduct any business online as a safety precaution or handle any in-person matters by noon.”
Several Columbia area school districts have adjusted their class schedule on Friday because of the potentially treacherous driving conditions.
The ice could also form on trees and potentially bring down limbs, according to the National Weather Service. That could lead to downed power lines and outages.
Any freezing rain is expected to taper off by 7 a.m. Saturday, the forecast shows.
Once the showers end Saturday, there’s no further chance of snow, sleet or freezing rain in the near future, according to the forecast.
Temperatures Friday will be the coldest of any day so far in 2025, with a possible high of 36 degrees, the forecast shows. It won’t get much colder, but still below freezing at night when it could hit a low around 31 degrees.
The rest of the upcoming forecast time frame is expected to be dry and cold with temperatures for the rest of the weekend predicted to reach highs in the 40s with lows in the 20s. That’s 10 to 15 degrees below the normal temperatures (high of 57 and low of 35) for this time of year in South Carolina, according to the National Weather Service.
The cold spell is expected to continue into next week, the forecast shows.
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This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM.
