We're in the middle of a 1-2 punch of storm systems. The first was last night's thunderstorms; the second will bring us another wave of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Most of the state got in on the action last night, but today's storms will be spottier. Also, the strongest storms can cause locally damaging wind and hail over the Pee Dee and a part of the Lowcountry; the Storm Prediction Center has that area in a Level 1 of 5 severe storm risk area.
A cold front pushing through is triggering the storms; the front will push offshore this evening, and a fresh shot of cool air will move in behind the front. Look for temperatures to drop mainly into the 40s across the state by daybreak on Saturday. For the most part, Saturday looks nice and pleasantly cool, with highs in the 60s and some lower 70s in the Lowcountry. It will get chilly again Saturday night with lows mainly in the 40s, but colder spots in the Upstate will dip into the 30s. However, it will remain breezy all night, which should preclude frost. Sunday afternoon looks warmer with sunshine and highs mainly in the lower 70s; the afternoon will be lovely.
Monday will likely be the warmest day of the next week, feeling like May, with temperatures shooting up into the lower to middle 80s under sunshine. Then, a cold front will move through on Tuesday. The front looks moisture-starved, with little or no shower and thunderstorm activity. Tuesday won't be as warm, and another cool air mass will arrive behind the front Tuesday night.
Wednesday looks mainly sunny and pleasant, though cool for April, with highs mainly in the lower 70s across the state (our normal highs are in the middle to upper 70s in mid-April). Thursday looks like a nice day with highs mostly 70-75. Both of those days start cool but not cold enough for frost concerns.
The next cold front will be due here at the end of next week. We might see some clouds arriving ahead of the front on Thursday. On Friday, the front will cause showers and thunderstorms (perhaps even a gusty storm or two). The timing is a little uncertain; maybe the rain chances come Thursday night or Friday night instead. Behind that comes another push of chilly air for next weekend, and some computer models hint at risk for a frosty morning in the Upstate behind that front. Hopefully, it will be the last concerning cold snap for us as the weather pattern will shift during the following week to one that favors warmth for this part of the country.
The temperature outlook for April 18-24 from the Climate Prediction Center.
Most of the state saw soaking rain on Monday, which helped with the drought conditions we're dealing with. Most of the Upstate improved their drought status, but the rain wasn't enough to help much along the coast. Last night's rain helped some more, but the mostly dry weather from now through Thursday means we probably won't see further improvement for a while.
