Where I live in Coastal South Carolina, we don’t normally get snow. Most of our winters are fairly mild. However, it seems every time we get a major hurricane through the area, we get a snowstorm that winter. I call it Hurricane Snow.
I’ve lived in the Lowcountry of South Carolina for almost 30 years, since the late 1990’s. Our summers with temperatures in the +90’s and 100% humidity can be a bit tough. Fortunately, with our coastal climate, most of our winters are fairly mild. They are cold occasionally, dipping below freezing, but seldom have any snow. Unless there has been a fall hurricane through our area. Here are a few notable instances from the last three decades.
- December 23, 1989. This was before my time in South Carolina. The area was hit with an unprecedented snowstorm, recording 8 inches of snow. This is one of the largest snowfalls in the Charleston area’s history, occurring just before Christmas. Hurricane Hugo had hit the Charleston area on September 22, 1989.
- Ten years later, on December 23, 1999 we had a rare snowfall of around 1-2 inches of snow in the area. This created a classic “White Christmas” season for the region. Hurricane Floyd in September 1999 was a major hurricane storm impacting the entire East Coast including our Charleston area. Due to the path of Hurricane Floyd, local hurricane evacuation routes were choked with evacuees from Florida and Georgia. I-26 became a parking lot from Charleston to Columbia as the storm approached.
- We again experienced a significant snowfall on February 12-13, 2010. Notable for its intensity and the amount of snow that accumulated in the area. Depending on the location, this was the greatest snowfall since December 1989. The official snowfall measurement at the airport was 3.4 inches while some other areas like Berkley County reported higher amounts up to 8.2 inches. Hurricane Bill passed by in August of 2009.
- The Ice Storm of January 2011 (1/9-11). For a change of pace, this winter storm brought a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain to the Lowcountry. Significant ice accumulation led to downed trees, power outages, and hazardous travel conditions. Hurricane Earl came through the Charleston area on September 3, 2010.
- January 3, 2018: The area experienced another one of its most significant snowfall since the December 1989 snowstorm. There were about 5 inches of snow recorded. Icy roads and freezing temperatures shut down the area for days. Hurricane Irma had passed through the area in September of 2017.
This brings us to now. The snow started falling here on Tuesday night January 21, 2025. By morning several inches of wet snow had dropped across the coastal Lowcountry.
With continuous overnight freezing temperatures, the icy roads and snow will persist throughout the week. They will remain into the weekend. Our area, like so many other southeastern areas, was significantly affected by Hurricane Helene this past September 2024.
Waking up to a white blanketing of snow over everything is kind of special. I think also knowing the snow will only last a few days helps. This is also Radar’s first time in the snow. When I first let him out in it he came right back into the house. At first, he wasn’t too sure what to make of all the cold wet stuff. But after we took a long walk, he enjoyed the snow more.
Looking back, whenever a major hurricane passes through our area, it seems we get a significant snowstorm or winter event that winter. This is especially true if the hurricane comes in September. Stay warm and tell me what you think in the comments.
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