Snowy roads in Beaufort County: Surge in accidents, ‘impassable’ routes. What to know
Officials warned residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary as Lowcountry residents woke up to roadways blanketed in white Wednesday morning.
The approximately 4 inches of snow in Bluffton marked the first major snowfall in the area in more than seven years.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said routes across its jurisdiction were “icy and dangerous” for travelers on Wednesday and urged the public to stay off the roads. Authorities in Jasper County were just as stern, saying that “many roads” in the county were impassable.
The department’s Emergency Management Division had received about 40 reports of vehicle accidents throughout the county since the snow started around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to spokesperson Master Sgt. Danny Allen. That number includes cars getting stuck in the snow and low-speed collisions, none of which resulted in serious injury.
About half of those incidents came from the Bluffton area, 10 from the Beaufort area and 10 on Hilton Head Island, Allen said.
No major roadways were closed in Beaufort or Jasper counties as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, including all major bridges, according to a live closures map from the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Spokesperson Hannah Robinson said Wednesday morning that the agency was “monitoring” bridges in the area and would announce any closures via its website and social media.
As of Wednesday morning, SCDOT had four snow plows on the roads in Beaufort County and eight in Jasper County, Robinson said. Those trucks are also equipped with salt and brine spreaders, and both counties were expected to receive a “few more” trucks from assistance crews later in the day.
Here’s a running list of hazardous road conditions and weather-related travel advisories within Beaufort and Jasper counties and beyond.
Jasper County
- John Smith Road: “Impassable” as of 7:45 a.m. Wednesday (Hardeeville Police Department)
- U.S. 321: “Impassable” between Whyte Hardee Boulevard (U.S. 17) and Church Road, an approximately half-mile stretch off I-95, as of 7:45 a.m. Wednesday (Hardeeville Police Department)
Savannah area
- Talmadge Bridge: Closed as of 10 a.m. Wednesday (Chatham County Government)
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 9:52 AM.
