New Rock Hill weather update: Nearly 10 inches of snow coming, with frigid winds
Snow that began falling overnight Friday into Saturday across the Rock Hill region is expected to continue throughout the day. The region remains under a winter storm warning that could bring nearly 10 inches of snow by Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Law enforcement throughout the region have been asking people to avoid driving if possible. Clover police have had several reports of vehicles sliding into ditches and getting stuck.
“Snow accumulation is now making it difficult to tell where the roadway ends and where curbs and medians begin,” the department posted on its Facebook page.
The York County Sheriff’s Office posted a similar update showing snow-covered Hands Mill Highway and Concord Road in Lake Wylie.
“Primary roads are covered,” it said. “Secondary roads are worse.”
The forecast on Saturday morning in York and Chester counties anticipated 5 to 8 inches of snow this weekend, with wind gusts up to 35 mph. Isolated power outages were expected.
But a revised map from the weather service on Saturday afternoon updated the total weekend snow projection to 9.9 inches in Rock Hill. In Chester, it’s projected at 9.1 inches. If those totals materialize, this weekend would be one of the largest snow storms on record in the region.
The largest single-day snowfall on record in the Rock Hill region happened in 2004, at 13.5 inches.
“Snow is expected to rapidly stick to roads and other surfaces due to temperatures in the 20s,” the storm warning said. “Very gusty winds today could result in areas of blowing snow, causing very poor visibility.”
Rock Hill region forecast
The 25-degree temperature in Rock Hill on Saturday morning is expected to drop to 11 degrees Saturday night.
The Sunday high is 34 degrees. Sunday night, the forecast low is 8 degrees. The storm warning blanketing York and Chester counties runs through 7 a.m. Sunday.
In Lancaster County, even more snow is predicted. The winter storm warning there runs through 10 a.m. Sunday, calling for 6 to 9 inches of total weekend snow. The panhandle is projected to get more snow that southern parts of the county. Wind gusts are expected at 35 mph.
It’s forecast to drop to 10 degrees Saturday night in Lancaster, from 25 degrees Saturday morning. Sunday will have a high of 33 degrees, with a low Sunday night of 9 degrees.
All three counties in the region are part of a massive winter storm that covers much of the eastern U.S. Winter storm warnings cover counties in seven states from Georgia to West Virginia.
And at Charlotte’s airport, over 1,000 incoming and departing flights were delayed by 2:30 p.m. Saturday, according to flight tracking site Flight Aware.com.
There haven’t been more than a dozen or so power outages had been reported in any part of the Rock Hill region, as of Saturday afternoon.
A ‘snowball ambush’ as the chief goes sledding
Police and sheriff offices throughout the area have asked people to avoid driving if possible. Hubert Graham Way in Tega Cay is closed. Along with warnings to avoid driving, cities and towns have largely been posting scenic shots online of the rare, heavy snowfall.
The city of Tega Cay posted photos on it Facebook page of Mayor Carmen Miller and Police Chief Joey Crosby sledding in the snow.
“What started as the Chief and Mayor sledding with the kids quickly turned into an all-out snowball ambush,” the city posted alongside snowflake and laughing emojis. “Officers may have called for backup and formed an alliance to air out some frustrations on Chief.”
This is a developing story
This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 8:46 AM.