Charleston, SC — A freezing rain threat could create hazardous travel conditions across the Charleston metro area and surrounding inland regions this weekend.
According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, freezing rain is the primary weather threat from Saturday through Sunday, as a winter system moves through the Southeast. Forecast guidance shows a 40–60% chance of ice accumulation of at least 0.01 inches across inland portions of the Charleston metro area and inland Southeast Georgia.
Forecasters noted that ice accumulation probabilities have trended slightly lower, but significant uncertainty remains. Even light ice amounts can create dangerous conditions, especially on bridges, overpasses, and other elevated surfaces, where freezing rain is most likely to accumulate first.
Areas closer to the immediate South Carolina coast, including downtown Charleston and locations south of Interstate 16, face a lower risk, with less than a 20% chance of measurable ice accumulation. However, officials caution that impacts could still occur if temperatures fall faster than expected.
The National Weather Service emphasized that freezing rain can be especially dangerous because it often falls as rain before freezing on contact with cold road surfaces, making hazards difficult to detect. Travel conditions could deteriorate quickly, particularly overnight and during early morning hours.
Residents are urged to prepare now by limiting unnecessary travel during the weekend, closely monitoring forecast updates, and using caution on bridges and less-traveled roads. Commuters, students, and workers traveling inland from Charleston may be more likely to encounter icy conditions.
The National Weather Service advises residents in Charleston to continue checking official updates through Friday and the weekend, as forecast confidence and potential impacts may change.
