Tropics DoneThe hurricane season for this year ends on Sunday, but it’s quiet across the Atlantic tropics, and there is no reasonable chance for any more storms to form over the next few weeks. So, I’m going to go ahead and call it: we did it … we survived another hurricane season! The season was below average in terms of the number of named storms (13, the average in recent decades is 14.1) and hurricanes (five, the average is 7.1), but above average in terms of major hurricanes (four, the average is 3.2) and seasonal ACE (accumulated cyclone energy, a measure of how much energy a season’s storms expend, there was a total of 132.6 units of ACE from this year’s storms and the average is 121.5). The best part of this year’s hurricane season is that we only had one landfalling storm in the United States. It was Tropical Storm Chantal, which made landfall here in South Carolina near Litchfield Beach on July 6. Impacts here in South Carolina were low-end, as the winds were not particularly strong and the storm’s rain was mostly welcome. However, Chantal’s rains caused severe flooding in parts of North Carolina and Virginia. 
A map from the National Hurricane Center showing the tracks of 2025’s Atlantic storms. It will likely be months before we face another tropical threat, but it’s important to remain prepared. If it’s not something coming out of the tropics, it can be tornadoes, winter storms, and even earthquakes. So, check out those SCEMD webpages to be well-informed about disaster preparedness. A cold front that moved through on Wednesday night put an end to our warm weather, and it will be a while before any of us in the Palmetto State see it well into the 70s again. We started this morning with the coldest readings of the season so far, or nearly so, and we’re going to see temperatures remain mostly below average over the next week. No, it won’t be cold enough for snow. Not for the next week, anyway. We might see some opportunities for a winter storm later in December, but not right off the bat. A storm will pass by to our north over the weekend and pull a cold front into South Carolina on Sunday. Ahead of it, we remain cold but tranquil through today and Saturday with highs in the 40s north and 50s south. In between, much of the state will see subfreezing temperatures again tonight, with 20s widespread. Warmth surges into the Coastal Plain ahead of the next front, sending highs along and south of I-20 into the 60s (maybe 70° in the warmest spots), while the chilly air remains stuck over I-85 and north due to cold air damming; it will hold in the 40s and lower 50s there. Unfortunately, the front won’t have much moisture to work with, and we’ll only see isolated showers as it moves through. However, there could be a steadier drizzly or misty nuisance in the areas stuck in the cold air damming regime. The front will become stationary to our south, and another storm will ride along it through the Southeast on Monday night into Tuesday. The storm track will be along the Gulf Coast and then along the Carolina coast (you know, the sort that causes winter storms ’round these here parts, but it won’t be cold enough to cause any snow or ice here). It will be a close call for a little freezing rain northwest of I-85, where it will likely be in the middle to upper 30s when the rain moves in, so we’ll have to watch for changes in the coldest spots in our northwest. However, it’s likely to be a rain-only event for all of South Carolina. It will be a cold rain for most with highs only in the 40s north of I-20, with 60s confined to the coast. The good news is that we are likely to see widespread soaking rain of 1-2 inches across the state. There may even be rumbles of thunder along the Coastal Plain. Much of the state remains in a drought, which worsened compared to last week because it was mostly dry. 
The latest U. S. Drought Monitor for South Carolina issued on Wednesday
shows about a fourth of the state in a drought. Wednesday through Friday next week looks dry and chilly. Highs will be mainly in the 50s on Wednesday, then it is likely to warm up somewhat to near-average 50s and low 60s for the end of the week. Another good chance of rain could arrive as early as next Friday night; next Saturday is likely to be wet, followed by a drier, colder Sunday. Frank Strait
Severe Weather Liaison
S.C. State Climate Office | 
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