Snow fell in Beaufort, Port Royal and Hilton Head Island Saturday evening in an extremely rare weather event for coastal South Carolina, with the accumulation a treat for the uninitiated but potentially treacherous for drivers.
As temperatures fell, the unusual winter storm initially produced a mix of rain and specks of snow and ice in the early afternoon. By 4:30 p.m., as darkness approached, that flurry had turned to fluffy white snowflakes that floated from the gray skies like aliens in a region better known for its palmetto and live oak trees, beaches and balmy wintertime temperatures in the 60s, not its snowscapes.
By 5:30 p.m., popular landmarks like The Henry Robinson Boardwalk in Port Royal had a layer of white frosting. Snow accumulated on palmetto fronds. Residents tossed salt on sidewalks to keep ice from forming.
“I grew up in Charleston just up the road and I can count on one hand how much I’ve seen snow in my lifetime,” Beaufort Mayor Phil Cromer said Saturday morning, as the city prepared for uncommonly cold weather and snow…