Storms, mid 60s forecast later in the week in York County area
The ice has barely melted, and now forecasters are talking about thunderstorms and temperatures in the mid 60s later this week in the York County area.
But don’t get too used to it. A return to winter isn’t far behind.
After two weeks of frigid cold that froze ponds and water pipes, the pattern changed Tuesday. The Rock Hill area saw an afternoon high of 65 degrees, a huge change from the 8-degree temperature at daybreak Sunday.
Forecasters say a northeast flow off the Atlantic will bring clouds and cooler temperatures Wednesday, but it will warm up again Thursday and Friday before the next surge of cold air arrives.
National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Lane says an area of showers is likely to spread across the Rock Hill area and the rest of the Carolinas on Thursday, with afternoon temperatures climbing into the upper 50s.
As a strong cold front approaches Friday, things will get interesting, Lane says.
Showers will increase, and temperatures are expected to soar into the middle and possibly upper 60s. Lane says there could be enough atmospheric instability for thunderstorms to develop ahead of the front. Some of the computer guidance is showing the possibility of the storms becoming strong, Lane said.
Several inches of rain could fall in the mountains, Lane says, but precipitation amounts in the Rock Hill area are not expected to be that heavy. Forecasters say dry conditions of recent weeks will help the ground absorb rainfall.
The cold front’s passage late Friday night will cut off the precipitation, and colder air will return. Saturday’s highs will be near 50, but afternoon readings will only reach the low 40s on Sunday and on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Forecasters say, though, that while temperatures will be 10 degrees below average, they will not approach the level of cold experienced between Christmas and last weekend.
This story was originally published January 10, 2018 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Storms, mid 60s forecast later in the week in York County area."