COLUMBIA, S.C. — The weather remains comfortable, with cooler and drier air lingering over South Carolina. The dry, pleasant conditions will continue. The chance of rain will return to the area late in the day Friday through early Saturday.
Temperatures will stay a bit below normal, with highs only reaching the low to mid-80s. Tonight, the clouds will keep the air from cooling off too much, so expect lows in the mid to upper 60s, which is a touch warmer than this morning.
As we look ahead to the end of the week, there is a shift in the weather pattern. A weak low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico and another along the Carolina coast could bring some showers to our area by Friday night and into the weekend.
This change in weather will also bring more clouds and cooler-than-normal temperatures, with highs struggling to get much above 80 degrees on Thursday and Friday.
Friday night looks like it could be a bit wet, as the rain chances increase significantly. This is due to a combination of factors, including a deepening trough in the Great Lakes region and increasing moisture from the south. The rain should be widespread, with totals ranging from a quarter of an inch to possibly an inch in some areas. So, if you have outdoor plans for late Friday night, you might want to keep an eye on the weather and be prepared for some rain.
By Saturday afternoon, the rain is expected to move out, leaving us with a mostly dry and cooler weekend. High pressure will build back in, bringing drier air and comfortable temperatures. While Saturday morning might start off a bit cloudy with some lingering showers, the afternoon should see clearing skies. Temperatures will be pleasant, with highs in the 70s to low 80s, depending on how quickly the clouds clear out.
Looking further into next week, the weather is expected to stay quiet and dry, with temperatures a few degrees below normal. The air will be much drier than usual, with dewpoints dropping into the 50s. This will make for cool mornings and warm afternoons, with highs in the low to mid-80s and lows in the upper 50s to low 60s. Overall, it looks like a stretch of comfortable, early fall weather is on the way.