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State-wide Wind Chill Advisory issued ahead of plunging temperatures

Wind Chill Advisories are in place state-wide
Meteorologist Justin Ballard
/
South Carolina Emergency Information Network
All South Carolina counties will experience potentially dangerous wind chill values Friday into Saturday morning.

Dangerous wind chills are possible Friday as cold air settles into the Palmetto State following a strong cold frontal passage.

Temperatures are plunging across the country as a powerful Arctic cold front plows through ahead of the holiday weekend. While South Carolinians may not experience wind-whipped snow, there's no escaping the potentially dangerous plunge in temperatures that will be felt state-wide this weekend.

Before the winter chill arrives Friday into Saturday, a few showers are expected first as the cold front pushes through the state. This front will be lacking significant moisture, so widespread or heavy rainfall does not appear likely. Any moisture that is squeezed out of the atmosphere will be in the form of liquid, except for potentially a few flakes of snow in the higher elevations of the Upstate. As temperatures come crashing, any moisture that does not get evaporated by way of falling dew points and gusty winds could provide a few slick spots for early morning drivers Friday.

The heart of the cold air will settle in Friday night, with lows falling to near 10 in the highest elevations of the Upstate. Closer to the Midlands, low temperatures Friday night will settle into the teens. The only area of the state that could escape teens Friday night would be in the Lowcountry, but even in these areas forecast lows are expected to fall into the lower 20s. Cold temperatures will not come alone. They will also be accompanied by strong winds and biting wind chills. A wind chill advisory is in effect for the entire state Friday night, where wind chills are expected to drop near and below zero.

High temperatures will be well below average as well, with most locales barely making it into the 30s on Christmas Eve Day. Temperatures moderate a bit by Sunday but only be a handful of degrees. Both days of the holiday weekend are forecast to be in the 30s. Residents are encouraged to prepare their homes for the winter chill over the next day or so before the heart of the cold air moves in on Friday. While the blast of winter chill is intense, it will be short-lived. Temperatures into next week will start to gradually warm up across the entire state, with the Climate Prediction Center outlook depicting the potential for above-average temperatures for New Year's Day.