COLUMBIA, S.C. — Severe weather is possible in South Carolina on Thursday. The Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk for severe weather for the state of South Carolina for the daytime today. A slight risk is a level 2 out of 5 on their severe weather scale. The Storm Prediction Center has indicated a 2% chance of a tornado within 25 miles for the Midlands and a 5% chance for the Lowcountry. The agency highlights a 15% chance of damaging thunderstorm wind gusts within 25 miles across the state today.
Early Thursday morning, a cold front was moving through Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida panhandle extending all the way to the Great Lakes region. The storm system produced tornadoes and damaging wind across the Deep South on Wednesday. More than 30 tornado damage reports were recorded in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Today's risk is lower, but includes a larger area, from Florida to New York.
Along and ahead of the front, gusty southerly breezes have kept temperatures near 70F in South Carolina. Showers will continue to push through the Midlands this morning. Muggy and warm air ahead of this storm system will fuel showers into isolated stronger thunderstorms later this morning.
TIMING
Severe weather is not expected before 10 am in the South Carolina Midlands, but showers will begin to move into the area and one or two thunderstorms are possible. Breezy weather could make travel difficult and move unsecured objects.
As early as 11 AM, the environment will be warmer and more favorable for stronger thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind, frequent lightning, and heavy rain. Rain will become less widespread mid-day with some peeks of sun, but this could help fuel scattered stronger storms. Most of the thunderstorm activity will clear out by 4 pm, but a few storms may linger in the eastern Midlands through the early evening.
Dry air will start moving in this afternoon, bringing a mix of sun and clouds by mid-afternoon. Rain is not expected for any Thursday evening plans in the Midlands, and the weather will be pleasant for the rest of the week and the weekend.
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