Severe weather forecast for Columbia area. Here’s when the dousing will start
Severe weather is forecast to affect the Columbia area of South Carolina on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Strong to severe storms will be possible ahead of a cold front, the National Weather Service said. Effects of the severe weather are most likely to rumble through the Midlands from 1-7 p.m., National Weather Service meteorologists said in a Monday morning briefing.
Damaging winds and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding — especially in urban and flood-prone areas — are the main threats to the Columbia area, according to the briefing.
The portion of the Midlands at the greatest risk of being impacted by the severe weather is mainly along and south of the Interstate 20 corridor, the National Weather Service said. But the entire area is under a marginal risk for excessive rainfall.
The conditions, caused by low level moisture and a slow-moving weather front, do not favor widespread damaging winds, according to the briefing.
Winds are forecast to to be as strong as 10-15 mph in the Columbia area, while gusts could move as fast as 26 mph.
Stronger gusts might be isolated, the National Weather Service said.
Powerful winds cause damage to trees and branches, which creates the possibility of downed power lines and outages.
No warnings, watches or advisories have been issued for any part of the Midlands, but that is subject to change as the storms get closer.
There is a 100% chance of rain Monday, and up to 2 inches of precipitation is possible in the Columbia area, the forecast shows. Localized amounts could be higher, especially during thunderstorms.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 70s Monday, but are forecast to drop as the storms move out of the area, the National Weather Service said in the briefing.
Behind this weather system a much cooler and drier air mass will build over Midlands through the middle of the week, as highs are expected in the 60s when the sun is shining on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
But overnight temperatures will be much lower, and there are frost concerns for Tuesday night with lows in the mid to upper 30s, according to the briefing.
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This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 7:50 AM.
