FIRST ALERT: Freezing rain to continue across Lowcountry overnight

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Reports of freezing rain were coming in Friday night across the Tri-County area as a winter storm advisory remained in effect.

As of 9 p.m., most of the Lowcountry was at the freezing mark.

Live 5 Chief Meteorologist Bill Walsh said freezing rain was expected to last into the overnight hours creating a light glaze of ice of less than a tenth of an inch of accumulation. By 5 a.m. Saturday, northerly winds will push the last of the freezing rain is expected to begin pulling away from the coast.

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“I wouldn’t rule out a little drizzle into the morning hours,” he said.

The biggest threat for the Lowcountry is possible icing of bridges and overpasses, he said, since they ice over before roads.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation said earlier it did not plan to close bridges unless they become impassable. Shortly after 9 p.m., SCDOT trucks were spotted going across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge.

SCDOT crews say they pretreated roadways earlier Friday before the winter weather moved in.

By Saturday morning, temperatures may only be in the 20s.

“Most of the moisture is going to be out of here Saturday morning, so the weekend looks good with sunshine,” Walsh said. “It’s just going to be on the cold side and any ice early Saturday should melt after lunch once we get temperatures above freezing.”

But, he said, any remaining moisture already on the ground will refreeze Saturday night when temperatures again dip below the freezing mark.

There is a possibility of power outages anytime there is ice. Dominion Energy said they have trucks on standby and extra crews ready to restore power if necessary.

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