Live updates: Snow in Columbia should stop overnight Saturday or Sunday morning
A historical snow storm and cold barrels into South Carolina. Here’s the latest news. Slightly after 8 a.m. Saturday, parts of Columbia started seeing the first sights of snowfall.
Snow accumulations of 2-5 inches expected for the northern Midlands and portions of the central Midlands and Pee Dee
UPDATED 4:45 P.M.
Despite hours of steady snow in some locations in the Midlands, less snow has accumulated than expected so far, according to an afternoon update from the National Weather Services.
Additional accumulation is expected to occur into Saturday night.
Wind gusts of 25-30 mph may result in blowing/drifting snow and reduced visibility with cold temperatures tonight. Continued cold on Sunday night but less wind. This may cause travel hazards to linger into early next week, according to the National Weather Service.
- State staff, online@thestate.com
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City of Columbia closes all Parks & Rec facilities
UPDATED 3:35 P.M.
The City of Columbia has closed all Parks and Recreational facilities for Saturday and Sunday due to weather conditions.
- State staff, online@thestate.com
See video of snow falling on Lake Murray, SC
UPDATED 2:45 P.M.
- Dwayne McLemore, dmclemore@thestate.com
Greenville SC reports accidents, DOT treats major roadways
UPDATED 2:30 P.M.
The City of Greenville’s police department says it responded to eight traffic wrecks on Saturday, Jan. 31, according to a local government.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation has pre-treated major routes. Even with these efforts, road conditions can deteriorate quickly.
- State staff, online@thestate.com
See the photos of snow as it settles in around Columbia landmarks
UPDATED 2 P.M.
Check out these iconic Columbia, SC landmarks as the snow falls from Winter Storm Gianna on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.
--- Joshua Boucher, jboucher@thestate.com
Power still on and roads are clear
UPDATED 1:45 P.M.
After a few hours of snowfall in the Midlands, poweroutage.com reports only about 70 households in the state of South Carolina without power.
SC DOT traffic maps are showing that most roads in the state are open and have no major incidents. Drivers are encouraged to use caution if travel is necessary during the snow storm.
- State staff, online@thestate.com
Check out these photos of the snow coming down
UPDATED 9:10 A.M.
- Tracy Glantz, tglantz@thestate.com
Snow arrives in Columbia, Midlands SC from Winter Storm Gianna
UPDATED 8:40 A.M.
The storm is expected to dump sizable amounts of snow around South Carolina. Parts of Columbia and Lexington have already begun to see flurries.
- Javon Harris, jharris@thestate.com
What’s closed around the Midlands because of the weekend snow?
With the Midlands preparing to get five inches or more of snow this weekend, local businesses and agencies have started announcing closures because of the winter weather. Winter Storm Gianna is expected to dump snow on Richland and Lexington counties throughout the day Saturday.
And low temperatures this weekend could keep the white stuff from melting for a while.
Residents should avoid unnecessary travel and prepare for power outages by keeping cell phones and mobile devices fully charged, according to the S.C. Emergency Management Division. Have flashlights and extra batteries on hand.
- Bristow Marchant, bmarchant@thestate.com
South Carolina football cancels future home-and-home series with ACC opponent
South Carolina and Virginia Tech have mutually agreed to cancel home-and-home football series that was scheduled for the 2034 and 2035 seasons, a university source confirmed to The State on Friday.
The cancellation, which was first reported by Doug Bowman of VTScoop, comes just a few months after the SEC and ACC announced they’d shift to nine-game conference schedules moving forward.
In response to that, South Carolina and Miami cancelled a home-and-home series that would have seen the Hurricanes play in Williams-Brice Stadium in 2026 and travel to Hard Rock Stadium outside Miami in 2027.
- Jordan Kaye, jkaye@thestate.com
Watch snow fall and traffic in Columbia, the SC Midlands from your cozy home with these webcams
If you’d like to enjoy the snow, but you’re not made for freezing conditions, there are several ways to watch from the comfort of your own home.
All across South Carolina, there are public webcams that grant you access to roads, intersections and other public areas. If snow does fall, these webcams will capture the winter wonder. The South Carolina Department of Transportation has dozens of traffic cams on highways and interstates around the Midlands and the Upstate that give wide, clear views of the ground and sky.
--- Damian Bertrand, dbertrand@thestate.com
This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 8:20 AM.