GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – A cold front takes aim at the area tonight and Wednesday, but the good news is this time it’s mainly rain. A warming trend take over during the later part of the week and into the weekend.
What to Expect Tuesday
Tuesday is a mainly quiet day but clouds thicken up by the afternoon. Highs are in the upper 40s for most of us with a few areas in the southern Upstate making it to the low 50s.
The mountains see precipitation move in late afternoon into the early evening—starting as rain at lower elevations but transitioning to snow above 4,000 feet. Precipitation is very light so accumulations under 1 inch are possible in the highest peaks only.
The Upstate sees rain chances increase late tonight as a wave of low pressure approaches from the west. Temperatures in the Upstate and mountain valleys stay above freezing so the concern for icy roads finally lets up.
Wednesday: Scattered Rain
The cold front stalls over the area, keeping rain chances going into Wednesday. It’s mainly light and isolated to scattered so while you can still get outside, check in with the radar before you do.
The mountains see a mix of rain and snow above 4,000 feet, with an additional inch possible above 5,000 feet, but that’s isolated to the highest elevations.
Totals range around the 0.50″ mark for majority. Areas in the mountains and north of I-85 a couple tenths of an inch below 0.5″ and areas south of I-85 could see slightly above.
This rain actually helps clear out the snow cover from the previous system and improves road conditions across the lower elevations. The rain tapers off Wednesday night as the cold front finally starts to move quicker to the east.
There is a very small chance we get a few flurries in the mountains valleys and eastern parts of the Upstate Thursday night at the tail end of the system. But because temperatures have been above freezing for the last day and half, nothing would stick.
What About Thursday and Beyond?
Drier air moves in Thursday, bringing a return to sunshine. It’s still cool for Thursday with highs only in the mid 40s for the Upstate and the mid to upper 30s in the mountains.
We warm back up for the weekend with highs in the 50s for the Upstate and the 40s in the mountains, however it’s still cold at night with lows in the 20s to lows 30s across the Western Carolinas.
A brief round of mountain snow showers develops Friday night as a clipper-type low pressure system moves from the Great Lakes toward New England. The best moisture and lifting remain north of the region, so any snow stays confined to the highest elevations along the Tennessee border. The foothills and Piedmont remain dry.
Gusty northwest winds develop Friday across the mountains and gradually taper off Saturday.
Bottom Line
Wednesday’s system brings rain across the Upstate and valleys, not snow. This is a welcome change after the last system and helps clear out existing snow cover. Higher mountain elevations see light snow accumulations, but the vast majority of you experience rain. Conditions improve Thursday with a brief mountain snow chance Friday night…