Could snow be in the forecast for Beaufort, SC in the near future? Some meteorologists say it’s very possible that we could see some here in the Lowcountry in the next week or so.
Long-range forecasts indicate that an arctic air mass and higher chances of precipitation will collide with one another in the Lowcountry in the middle of February, said Neil Dixon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston, SC.
But it’s still unclear exactly how the system will act, and it’s unlikely to be only snow that is forecasted.
Snow and ice storms, coupled with cold temperatures, periodically threaten South Carolina. All it takes is a few factors to line up.
With the way temperatures are here along the coast and the changes in temps as you move further inland away from the ocean, chances are there’s a good possibility we’re going to see a period of liquid rain, a period of freezing rain, and then some sleet and the snow.
Right now, an arctic air mass is centered over the upper Midwest and is expected to slowly migrate towards the Southeast.
Between February 12th and 18th, there’s a 60% chance of lower-than-normal temperatures and a 40% chance of more precipitation than normal at the same time, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
When cold air makes its way south and connects with warmer, moister air…the propensity for snow occurs.
It just depends on how cold it gets.
Heavy snowfall and extreme cold can immobilize an entire region. Even areas that normally experience mild winters can be hit with a major snowstorm or extreme cold.
Winter storms can damage property, create safety risks, destroy crops and valuable timber, damage infrastructure components such as power lines and have enormous economic impacts…and they can sure be one heck of an inconvenience.
We don’t have salt trucks and snow plows here in town. Most natives don’t even know how to safely navigate their vehicles on snow covered roads.
The last time Beaufort, SC saw a significant amount of snow was in the first few days of 2018. We got some six inches of snow and the Lowcountry froze over and most parts of it came to a standstill for four or five days; and Beaufort was a ghost town for days, with the exception of children and families going out to play in it.
Snow has repeatedly blanketed other parts of the country so far this season with our friends in the northeast getting hit over and over again. New York City saw a foot and a half of snow in the first couple of days of February and they’re going to have to endure some more before the winter is over.
Yes, we aren’t up north, but during the winter months in the Lowcountry, it helps to stay aware, because winter weather isn’t a joke around these parts. And, you just never know when it’ll be headed our way. After all, nobody expected what happened 2 years ago.
Will it snow?
Who knows.
Beaufort, SC is beautiful every single day of the year. But, it looks exceptionally beautiful when its landscape is covered in snow.
We can only hope for some Lowcountry snow.
