The more I look at this system and the way everything will likely play out on Friday, the more I think the Lowcountry may see 70 degrees.  It looks like the warm sector will be solidly in place across the region by Friday morning with a stubborn cold air wedge in place up here where I am in the upstate.  While I see a cold rain late Thursday into Friday, a warm rain will be quite possible for the lower part of the state.  Most guidance has the region in the middle 60s but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a run for 70 as ensemble guidance is now suggesting that.

By the way, I just checked the numbers for the month of December so far and CHS is running about average in the temperature department for the month.  I would say by the end of this week, we will probably see above normal readings for the month, and then maybe cancel out the warmth somewhat next week.  Just looking at the preliminary data, Outside of Charleston and Beaufort, about the rest of the state is running below average.  For example Columbia is running about 3 degrees below average, GSP -3.4, and Myrtle Beach is almost 2 below for the month.  Crossing into North Carolina, Charlotte is running about 5 degrees below average for the month. We have less than 10 days to go, so we will be watching those numbers carefully for long range forecast verification.  No reason to talk about the monthly precipitation forecast, that one has already verified.  Now we are just watching the rain bucket to see how far we go over the monthly average for December.  Hint:  It’s going to be a hefty surplus!

Ok!  Enough work for now, getting back to the family.  I will try to have the January outlook posted by this weekend, if not by then, it will definitely be up by Monday.