Beaufort Co. may get ‘clobbered’ by rain, thunderstorms on Easter Sunday, forecasters say
The start of Easter weekend may be picture-perfect, but forecasters from the National Weather Service in Charleston don’t expect it to last long.
A strong cold front will move through the Lowcountry Sunday evening into Monday morning. With it will come numerous thunderstorms, strong winds and the potential for isolated tornadoes, according to a Saturday morning weather briefing from NWS.
Mark Malsick of theSC State Climate Office said in an alert Thursday that the Lowcountry should “expect rain to drift in over the Savannah River starting near 5 a.m. Sunday. Rain, heavy at times, is expected clobber the entire day. Rainfall amounts are solidly in the 1-3 inch range.”
However, forecasters are not certain on the times thunderstorms will develop, the NWS briefing says.
“They could move in as early as late Sunday night or as late as Monday afternoon,” the briefing says. “Some of the storms could produce damaging straight line winds and tornadoes.”
Winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph are expected starting Sunday and into Monday.
Wind gusts up to as 40 mph will be possible late Sunday night and Monday morning, according to NWS.
5-day forecast for Beaufort County
Here’s what’s on tap for the next five days:
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 71. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. South wind around 9 mph.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a southeast wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 70. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 a.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. High near 82. Southwest wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Monday night: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.
Tuesday night: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Source: NWS Charleston
