Storm Team 3: Freezing start and chilly for St. Patrick’s Day 

On St. Patrick’s Day, we are given a cold one after a heavy cold front. The Low Country and the Coastal Empire had a lot of thunderstorms and showers on Monday. A morning tour of covert cells was finally replaced by a great number of showers and tempests that gradually worked their way into our vicinity. 

There was one tornado warning for Bacon County that occurred between 6: 00 and 7:00 a.m., and there were cells that became severe, producing hail and wind. The storms that developed in Middle Georgia before the main line of storms arrived helped our region avoid widespread severe weather.

Additionally, more consistent rainfall provides greater benefit to our drought-prone areas, allowing the ground to cope with manageable levels of rainfall. 

Rainfall was about one-half inch or so on much of the territory, and in parts of the country south of 1-6, one to two inches.

Afternoon storms were blown out of the area by the cold front, which increased to 40 mph. Cold, bitter air, so late in the season, comes in with the cold front.

Many of our inland counties have a Freeze Warning because temperatures have dropped into the lower 30s.

The winds are northwest with breezy winds, with the wind chills ranging in the 20s, so get warm in case you are out early to any of the festivities. The day will be chilly, with temperatures that will barely reach the 50s. By the end of the day, the winds do subside somewhat.

The warmer weather will bring the lower 20s to communities west of I-95 due to clearer skies and light winds on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

By the week’s end, temperatures will slowly come down to the 70s, with highs reaching the 80s as early as Thursday and 80s for the weekend.

No substantial rainfall is projected over the next 7 days, other than sporadic showers or storms in case of a warm and humid pattern reoccurring towards the end of the weekend. 

It will become quite cold after today’s cold front, and it will remain breezy. There is currently a freeze warning issued for areas west of 95 on Tuesday morning and a freeze watch issued for Jeff Davis, Appling, Wayne, and Bacon counties. It will be near freezing in the morning, with wind chill in the 20s, so you will certainly want to dress warmly. St. Patrick’s Day will only reach the 50s in the afternoon as the breezy conditions persist throughout the day.