When the westernmost regions of South Carolina get snow, most year-round residents shrug and pull out the de-icer and have a snow shovel at the ready. But when the rest of the Palmetto State gets snow… now, that’s a different story! Some of South Carolina’s worst winter storms have wreaked all kinds of havoc on this normally mild-wintered state.
When it snows along the coast, some residents are utterly mortified and life as they know it grinds to a halt until the snowpocalypse comes and goes.
zizzybaloobah/Flickr But others enjoy the day off, choosing instead to make busy in different ways to pass the time. The photo below was taken Thursday, Jan. 3, 2018 during a snowfall that dropped at least five inches of snow in some places along the South Carolina coast. You remember that storm, right?
It hasn’t been that long since the coastal cities and towns in the Palmetto State dug their way out of more than a few inches of snow.
Market Common/Flickr The above photo was taken in Myrtle Beach during a February 2010 storm.
That same storm was responsible for depositing more than 10 inches of snow in the town of Central.
geraldbrazell/Flickr For a state not that accustomed to snow, 10 inches may as well be three feet.
As it turns out, history has turned more than one generation of South Carolinians into snow warriors.
Richland Library/Flickr The image above was taken after a winter storm dropped a great deal of snow in Columbia in 1930.
But let’s now fast-forward to the biggest and meanest snow storm to ever hit South Carolina: the great Blizzard of 1973.
Hunter Desportes/Flickr The nightmare started on February 9th and lastest for three full days. The midlands were the hardest hit and received an overwhelming 24 inches of snow.
Charleston recorded a record eight inches of snow.
Marcy Leigh/Flickr
The storm crippled South Carolina as power lines went down throughout the state.
Omega_912/Flickr
People actually got stranded in their cars.
Kumar McMillan/Flickr One unofficial report claimed that 30,000 cars (and their passengers!) were stranded on South Carolina highways. Many of the stranded were just passing through on Interstate 95 and were blindsided by the storm. South Carolina residents welcomed thousands of complete strangers into their homes, literally saving their lives.
Snowdrifts got as high as six to eight feet, trapping some residents inside their homes.
KOMUnews/Flickr When all was said and done, more than ten people died as a direct result of the Blizzard of ‘73. Sometimes, all it takes is a little snow (or a lot of snow) to make you realize how fragile life really is.
What’s the biggest storm you remember from growing up? Do you have any memories of South Carolina’s worst winter storms? Tell us your stories in the comments!
zizzybaloobah/Flickr
But others enjoy the day off, choosing instead to make busy in different ways to pass the time. The photo below was taken Thursday, Jan. 3, 2018 during a snowfall that dropped at least five inches of snow in some places along the South Carolina coast. You remember that storm, right?
Market Common/Flickr
The above photo was taken in Myrtle Beach during a February 2010 storm.
geraldbrazell/Flickr
For a state not that accustomed to snow, 10 inches may as well be three feet.
Richland Library/Flickr
The image above was taken after a winter storm dropped a great deal of snow in Columbia in 1930.
Hunter Desportes/Flickr
The nightmare started on February 9th and lastest for three full days. The midlands were the hardest hit and received an overwhelming 24 inches of snow.
Marcy Leigh/Flickr
Omega_912/Flickr
Kumar McMillan/Flickr
One unofficial report claimed that 30,000 cars (and their passengers!) were stranded on South Carolina highways. Many of the stranded were just passing through on Interstate 95 and were blindsided by the storm. South Carolina residents welcomed thousands of complete strangers into their homes, literally saving their lives.
KOMUnews/Flickr
When all was said and done, more than ten people died as a direct result of the Blizzard of ‘73. Sometimes, all it takes is a little snow (or a lot of snow) to make you realize how fragile life really is.
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The OIYS Visitor Center
South Carolina’s Worst Winter Storms October 18, 2021 Tori Jane What is winter in South Carolina like? South Carolina is a humid subtropical climate, which means that typically, it sees mild winters. Coastal regions of the state have it the nicest, one could say, with high temperatures averaging about 60 degrees, though overnight lows can still be a bit chilly, at around 38 degrees. Inland, it gets a little colder, though it’s still quite tolerable. Typically the temperatures inland average from 50 degrees during the day to freezing – or near freezing – at night. “Freezing” is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. During El Nino years, South Carolina can have wet winters, which leads to cooler-than-average temperatures. Snow isn’t exactly a regular thing here; it’s rare in the coastal regions, and inland – mostly upstate – they can expect maybe 2 to 3 inches of snow per year. Sometimes, however, one will have a higher-than-average year; during those years, sometimes snowfall can reach up to eight inches in a year! Better get the plows out now, while you can. Are there ice storms in South Carolina? Although mild winters are generally the norm here, from time to time we’ll experience a truly crazy winter with a good storm or two. South Carolina has seen a small share of freak ice storms from time to time; luckily, they’re few and far between, and when they do occur, they don’t tend to last long periods of time. In 2014, South Carolina saw a crazy freak event that just about shut the entire state down. Known appropriately as “The Ice Storm of 2014”, this storm resulted in a loss of power for more than 151,000 homes. During this event, some areas of the state were coated in up to one inch of ice, which, for this region, is unusual. Need some ideas for cool stuff to do this winter in South Carolina? Take a look at this list for some wintertime inspiration.
The OIYS Visitor Center
South Carolina’s Worst Winter Storms
October 18, 2021
Tori Jane
What is winter in South Carolina like? South Carolina is a humid subtropical climate, which means that typically, it sees mild winters. Coastal regions of the state have it the nicest, one could say, with high temperatures averaging about 60 degrees, though overnight lows can still be a bit chilly, at around 38 degrees. Inland, it gets a little colder, though it’s still quite tolerable. Typically the temperatures inland average from 50 degrees during the day to freezing – or near freezing – at night. “Freezing” is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. During El Nino years, South Carolina can have wet winters, which leads to cooler-than-average temperatures. Snow isn’t exactly a regular thing here; it’s rare in the coastal regions, and inland – mostly upstate – they can expect maybe 2 to 3 inches of snow per year. Sometimes, however, one will have a higher-than-average year; during those years, sometimes snowfall can reach up to eight inches in a year! Better get the plows out now, while you can. Are there ice storms in South Carolina? Although mild winters are generally the norm here, from time to time we’ll experience a truly crazy winter with a good storm or two. South Carolina has seen a small share of freak ice storms from time to time; luckily, they’re few and far between, and when they do occur, they don’t tend to last long periods of time. In 2014, South Carolina saw a crazy freak event that just about shut the entire state down. Known appropriately as “The Ice Storm of 2014”, this storm resulted in a loss of power for more than 151,000 homes. During this event, some areas of the state were coated in up to one inch of ice, which, for this region, is unusual. Need some ideas for cool stuff to do this winter in South Carolina? Take a look at this list for some wintertime inspiration.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
South Carolina is a humid subtropical climate, which means that typically, it sees mild winters. Coastal regions of the state have it the nicest, one could say, with high temperatures averaging about 60 degrees, though overnight lows can still be a bit chilly, at around 38 degrees. Inland, it gets a little colder, though it’s still quite tolerable. Typically the temperatures inland average from 50 degrees during the day to freezing – or near freezing – at night. “Freezing” is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. During El Nino years, South Carolina can have wet winters, which leads to cooler-than-average temperatures. Snow isn’t exactly a regular thing here; it’s rare in the coastal regions, and inland – mostly upstate – they can expect maybe 2 to 3 inches of snow per year. Sometimes, however, one will have a higher-than-average year; during those years, sometimes snowfall can reach up to eight inches in a year! Better get the plows out now, while you can.
Are there ice storms in South Carolina?
Although mild winters are generally the norm here, from time to time we’ll experience a truly crazy winter with a good storm or two. South Carolina has seen a small share of freak ice storms from time to time; luckily, they’re few and far between, and when they do occur, they don’t tend to last long periods of time. In 2014, South Carolina saw a crazy freak event that just about shut the entire state down. Known appropriately as “The Ice Storm of 2014”, this storm resulted in a loss of power for more than 151,000 homes. During this event, some areas of the state were coated in up to one inch of ice, which, for this region, is unusual. Need some ideas for cool stuff to do this winter in South Carolina? Take a look at this list for some wintertime inspiration.
