Rock Hill region experiencing some of the coldest temperatures in four years.
The coldest air in more than four years poured into the Rock Hill area Friday, with snow and sleet fast on its heels, forecasters say.
A quick shot of frozen precipitation was expected Friday evening across the region, and National Weather Service meteorologists say that could set the stage for hazardous travel Saturday morning.
A winter storm warning is posted for Lancaster County, which will be close enough to the coastal storm to get 2-3 inches of snow and some ice accumulation, according to forecasters.
A winter storm advisory, a step below the warning, has been issued for York and Chester counties, where about 1 inch of snow is predicted.
National Weather Service meteorologists say the very cold air will cause any precipitation to freeze on roadways. Highway crews have spread a brine mixture on area roads, but the Weather Service’s Andrew Kimball said it might get too cold for the brine to work.
“Low temperatures are expected to be quite chilly – into the teens to mid 20s – which may limit the brine and salt effectiveness,” Kimball says.
Farther to the east, winter storm and ice warnings are posted for the eastern part of the Carolinas. Duke Energy staged repair crews near the coast, to deal with possible power outages caused by freezing rain.
Freezing rain also was being reported late Friday afternoon in Columbia.
The storm system formed along a cold front which pushed through the region late Thursday, ushering in very cold air.
The temperature was 35 degrees at Rock Hill’s airport at midnight Thursday, and that likely will be the high for the day. Readings hovered near freezing for much of the day in the area. The last time temperatures were this cold was in the first week of January in 2018.
Forecasters say any precipitation that falls Friday evening will remain frozen well into Saturday morning, with high temperatures not expected to reach 40 in the Rock Hill area.
Kimball says the snow is expected to fall Friday evening and then quickly move away.
Partial clearing is expected overnight, which will allow temperatures to plummet.
School systems across the area switched to virtual classes Friday in advance of the storm.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
