Lowcountry neighborhoods see early wintry mix ahead of rain

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - People in portions of the Lowcountry reported snow flurries, sleet, and freezing rain Friday morning as a winter storm moved in.

Live 5 First Alert Meteorologist Joey Sovine said the initial band of the main rainmaker is producing the light wintry mix that was forecast earlier this week.

Sleet was being reported in parts of Orangeburg County, in Summerville and the Cainhoy areas as of around 8:30 a.m. There have been additional reports of wintry weather in Ladson, St. George, Goose Creek and Nexton, among other areas.

The National Weather Service has extended a winter weather advisory into Berkeley, Dorchester and Inland Colleton Counties until noon. A band of sleet, light snow, freezing rain and rain will slowly drift north of I-26 over the next 1-2 hours. Minor accumulations are possible until temperatures rise above freezing late in the morning.

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The Live 5 Weather team declared Friday a First Alert Weather Day earlier this week because of the possibility of wintry weather for portions of South Carolina.

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“We issued the First Alert Weather Day because of the rare chance that we could see a couple of snowflakes for a few of you, maybe a little bit of sleet briefly mixed in before this goes all rain,” he said.

The storm will move in from late Friday morning into the evening and will be mainly rain for most, if not all of the Lowcountry, Sovine said.

Where will snow be most likely in the Lowcountry?

For the Lowcountry, computer models vary predictions on how far south snow might fall. But Sovine says those near I-95 and north of I-26 have the best chance of seeing a brief period of light snow or sleet before it changes to rain.

“Future Tracker is showing it perhaps late in the morning. Most other models are showing it not until later in the afternoon and into the evening,” he said.

Whatever little wintry precipitation that might happen should switch to rain quickly. With temperatures at or near the freezing mark, any accumulation that occurs during the first band of wintry weather should disappear as the temperature rises and rain takes over.

“The one holdout may be extreme northern sections of Williamsburg and Clarendon Counties, getting closer to the Pee Dee,” he said.

The Williamsburg and Orangeburg County School Districts announced plans to dismiss school early on Friday because of the possibility of wintry weather. Rain will continue Friday night through early Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, wintry precipitation is expected to develop across much of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia Friday afternoon through early Saturday. Much of the Midlands will see a wintry mix but portions of the Upstate, particularly in the mountains, have the best chance of seeing snow.

There is still uncertainty regarding the specific precipitation types and amounts, but significant accumulations are possible in those parts of the state.

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