Cold weather and potential snow, ice to hit Beaufort County early next week

Rumors of snow hitting the Lowcountry this weekend and early next week for the first time in seven years might not be too far off. Even though specific conditions are still fairly uncertain, it is clear that residents should dig out their coats, gloves and boots.

Following a rainy, chilly weekend, temperatures are likely to drop into the 30s on Tuesday and Wednesday, with windchill reaching as low as 10 degrees. While cold weather advisories are expected, it’s too soon to tell exactly if and how much ice and snow accumulation the area will experience.

“We’ll have plenty of time to narrow down those impacts as we go through the weekend,” Steve Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Charleston office, said during a briefing Thursday.

A cold front will bring showers from early Saturday into Sunday morning, likely totaling one and a half inches, at most. Meteorologists don’t expect that the rain will lead to any flooding, Taylor said.

The exact amount and location of snow and ice that falls in the region early next week is still quite uncertain, Taylor said. There is currently a 30 to 50 percent chance of minor impacts, or accumulations that could result in slick roads and travel issues, and a 20 to 30 percent chance of moderate impacts, which could lead to a winter storm warning and more risk of property damages.

“[These chances] are actually pretty high for this part of the county, this far out,” Taylor said. “So that kind of gives you an indication of the way that this forecast may pan out as we go into next week.”

A press release from the Beaufort County School District Thursday afternoon stated that they are closely monitoring the weather and will inform families by mid-day on Monday if changes to district operations become necessary.

Sea Island Presbyterian Church plans to open their cold shelter. It will be open Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 5 p.m to 8 a.m.