Temperatures are cold & precipitation is forecast, but will it snow in Columbia?

The forecast for the early part of this week shows continued cold temperatures in the Columbia area of South Carolina, as well as precipitation. But will those two winter weather factors combine to make it snow in the Midlands?

Not this time, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow is not in the forecast for the Midlands this week, National Weather Service Meteorologist Hunter Coleman told The State Sunday.

Potentially freezing temperatures will follow in the days after significant showers, which could drop an inch of rain on the Columbia area, Coleman said. Localized amounts of rain in other areas of the Midlands could be higher.

But temperatures are not expected to fall below 40 degrees when the precipitation douses the Midlands on Monday night and Tuesday, the forecast shows.

“It will be just rain for our area,” Coleman said. “It will be way too warm for snow. It’s not in the cards this time of the year.”

It’s uncommon for it to snow in the Columbia area at this time of year, according to Coleman. Snow, which is far from a frequent occurrence in the Midlands, is more likely to form in the January to February portion of the calendar, Coleman said.

There were two confirmed snow storms in Columbia last January.

There was a Jan. 10 winter storm that included some snow, sleet and freezing rain.

On Jan. 22, there was more significant snowfall in the Midlands. Nearly an inch of snow was recorded at Columbia Metropolitan Airport, while unofficial totals of 1-1.5 inches of snow were reported in Lexington County, and the highest snow accumulation in the Midlands was in the Bowman area of Orangeburg County where about 4 inches was recorded, the National Weather Service said.

While no snow is forecast for the first week of December, Coleman said the rain is “much needed.” There have been drought conditions recently in the Midlands, according to the National Weather Service.

There is a slight chance of rain Sunday, but the intensity is expected to pick up Monday night when there’s a 90% chance of precipitation, the forecast shows. Monday’s low temperature is predicted to be 41 degrees overnight — well above freezing.

By Tuesday, temperatures are predicted to climb into the mid 50s when there’s a 100% chance of rain, according to the forecast.

As the rain moves out of the Columbia area, the temperatures are forecast to drop into the low 30s, possibly below freezing, beginning Tuesday night. Following a thaw during sunlight hours the next two days, temperatures could hit the low 30s again Wednesday and Thursday nights, the forecast shows.

Should thermometers dip into the 20s, it would be considered a hard freeze, according to Coleman. It wouldn’t be the first hard freeze in the Midlands in recent months, as Coleman said a couple have already been recorded.

In the case of a hard freeze, it would pose a threat to vegetation.

The freezing conditions also present a threat to unprotected outdoor plumbing, according to meteorologists. To prevent water pipes from freezing, wrap or drain them, or allow them to drip slowly, the National Weather Service said.

More precipitation is expected by the end of the week, the forecast shows. But snow still isn’t predicted, as low temperatures will be in the upper 30s Friday night, when there’s a 70% chance of rain, according to the forecast.

Rain could continue into next weekend, but again temperatures will be above the freezing point.

This story was originally published November 30, 2025 at 11:55 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription