Columbia, South Carolina – A sustained stretch of colder-than-normal weather is expected to settle across South Carolina from Friday through early the following week, bringing unusually chilly conditions for late winter and limited opportunities for meaningful rainfall across the state.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14-day outlook for Jan. 30 through Feb. 5 places South Carolina within a high-confidence zone for below-normal temperatures. Much of the state carries an 80 to 100 percent probability of colder-than-average conditions as a broad cold pattern remains anchored over the eastern United States, centered across the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas.
High temperatures across Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach are expected to run several degrees below seasonal norms. Overnight lows are likely to dip near or below freezing inland, particularly across the Midlands and Upstate, while coastal areas experience colder-than-usual nights and brisk daytime conditions. The cold air mass stretches from New England south through the Carolinas into Florida and expands west into Ohio and Mississippi.
Precipitation during this period is expected to trend below normal across most of South Carolina. The outlook favors a drier-than-average pattern from the Northeast through the Southeast, limiting the likelihood of widespread rain events. While a brief coastal system or light rain cannot be ruled out, the overall pattern does not support frequent or significant precipitation.
Above-normal precipitation chances are mainly confined to Texas, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest, while near-normal precipitation is expected across parts of the southern Deep South and central Plains.
Residents across South Carolina should prepare for an extended stretch of cooler winter weather, protect sensitive plants and outdoor plumbing, and remain cautious of early morning cold impacts, especially in inland communities. Additional outlook updates may follow as confidence increases closer to the period.
