Columbia, South Carolina – Darker clouds could interrupt the late-summer heat before 5 p.m. today, bringing thunderstorms and briefly wet roads around Columbia.
According to the National Weather Service, Columbia has a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 5 p.m. The high reaches 86 degrees.
Conditions were mostly cloudy and 73 degrees at Jim Hamilton-L.B. Owens Airport shortly before 9 a.m. Humidity stood at 81%.
Drivers should watch changing skies along I-20, I-26 and I-77. A passing storm could quickly leave pavement wet during afternoon travel.
The thunderstorm chance drops to 20% before 11 p.m. Patchy fog then becomes possible after 3 a.m., continuing before 9 a.m. Sunday.
Sunday turns warmer after the fog lifts. Mostly cloudy skies accompany a high near 90, with no additional rain chance shown.
The bigger story develops early next week. Monday reaches 94 degrees before Tuesday climbs to 96 under sunny skies.
By Wednesday, Columbia could hit 97 degrees. That represents an 11-degree rise from today’s expected high.
Plan strenuous outdoor work for cooler morning hours. Carry water, take frequent breaks and never leave children or pets inside parked vehicles.
The supplied local outlook does not identify a specific tornado threat. Still, thunderstorms today warrant attention to any updated NWS alerts.
The Weather Prediction Center also expects thunderstorms across portions of the Southeast as a nearby front gradually weakens.
For now, Columbia’s pattern quickly pivots from storm chances toward sustained summer heat. Thursday could reach 99 degrees, though that falls beyond this five-day window.
More advisories may follow if heat or thunderstorm risks increase. Seeing storms around Richland County today? Tell us what conditions look like.
Five-Day Weather Outlook for Columbia, South Carolina
- Today: 40% chance of thunderstorms before 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High 86. Low 70.
- Sunday: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Mostly cloudy afterward. High 90. Low 72.
- Monday: Mostly sunny. High 94. Low 73.
- Tuesday: Sunny. High 96. Low 74.
- Wednesday: Sunny and hot. High 97. Low 76.
