COLUMBIA, S.C. — It was a very cold start to the day. Temperatures will not warm much this afternoon. Our weather will warm up a little on Thursday and Friday before some of the coldest air of the season moves into South Carolina.
Early this morning, Columbia had an unofficial low temperature of 25 degrees. Aiken, Camden, Newberry, and Winnsboro all reported low temperatures of 19 degrees. Cedar Creek dropped to 18. The eastern and southern half of the Midlands hit the middle to upper 20s.
This afternoon will be sunny but still unseasonably cool. High temperatures will be in the lower to middle 40s. High pressure will shift over the area on Wednesday night. It could be even colder Thursday morning, with lows in the lower 20s across a large part of the Midlands. Some areas will drop into the upper teens Thursday morning.
Temperatures will moderate on Thursday and Friday, but another cold front will move through the state on Friday. There will be a slight chance for rain late Thursday into early Friday, but the chance for rain continues to decrease.
Much colder air moves into the state for the weekend. There is high confidence in multiple days of temperatures well below average, beginning Friday night and continuing through the weekend. Lows Saturday night into Sunday morning are expected to drop into the middle teens, but no records will be broken.
These temperatures will be dangerous to those without adequate shelter or heat.
Here are five things to remember when it comes to cold safety:.
Protect People: Symptoms of hypothermia can set in during the cold morning. Check in on the elderly to make sure their heat is working. Children and elderly people are more susceptible to cold weather impacts.
Protect Pets: Consider bringing outside dogs inside or giving them a warm place to seek shelter. Outdoor water bowls will freeze during the morning. Smaller dogs and dogs with thinner fur are more susceptible to cold.
Protect Plants: Leafy landscape shrubs are fine in this weather, but flowers may be damaged, so give them a frost cloth. The winter greens in our garden can only handle temperatures briefly into the 20s
Protect Pipes: This one is only for people who have pipes that are exposed to freezing temperatures. Keep your faucet on a drip and wrap pipes that are exposed to the elements. Opening a sink cabinet door can help keep pipes warmer if the rest of the home is heated. A sink against an outside wall or above-ground water pipes outside could freeze or burst. If you have not had problems with freezing pipes, you likely will not have an issue with temperatures in the 20s. All outdoor faucets should be turned off; otherwise, there will be ice on the ground.
Practice Fire Safety: Check to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working and never leave fire pits, fireplaces, or space heaters unattended. Space heaters account for four out of five home heating deaths around the nation. A space heater must be operated away from anything that can catch fire and must be plugged directly into a wall.
