Tough commute possible this afternoon
Heavy rain and thunderstorms — a few of which could reach severe limits — are a possibility this afternoon as a storm system pushes its way east through the area. While the best severe potential remains south of here (think Beaufort), there’s still a shot of some heavy rumbling up in Charleston. We’re not included in a watch or convective outlook yet, though that could change as the day rolls on.
Another concern is flooding. Localized totals of 3″ are forecasted. Right now, expect the heavier rains to start around noon and pick up throughout the afternoon. As with any heavy rain event, street flooding in the usual spots downtown cannot be ruled out, but a widespread flooding event is probably not so much in the cards, as tides will be receding throughout the afternoon. High tide is at 11:20 AM, followed by low tide at 5:46 PM.
Continue to watch this thread and @chswx for updates throughout the day.
The key: Temperatures will not fall below freezing here, so no snow is expected to stick to the ground, nor will any of the wintry mix refreeze. Precipitation is expected to be fairly light so the roads shouldn’t even get terribly slick, and after the front comes through, things will dry out very quickly. Things will also stay pretty chilly; we’ll be lucky to get over 40 tomorrow.
Jared Smith 2:44 pm on January 21, 2010 Permalink
Thanks to the steady rain, severe weather won’t be a worry this afternoon. The rain has been heavy at times, but rainfall totals haven’t been anything to write home about just yet. Still watching for a chance at some local flooding — particularly in the coastal areas — but the tide situation is on our side with that. Be careful if you have to travel today, as the rain and occasionally blustery wind will make things a bit difficult, particularly on the bridges.