Honestly, if you stepped outside in Spartanburg this morning, you probably noticed the air feels like a wet wool blanket. It’s one of those South Carolina winter mornings where the sky can’t decide if it wants to be a cloud or a puddle.
Right now, the weather forecast Spartanburg SC is showing a current temperature of 38°F, but with that northern wind biting at 7 mph, it actually feels more like 34°F. That’s the kind of damp cold that gets into your marrow. We’ve got light rain falling—no surprise there—and the humidity is sitting at a heavy 84%.
The Sunday Breakdown: Rain to Snow?
If you’re planning on heading out to the Sparkle City Main Street or maybe grabbing a coffee downtown, keep the umbrella close. But here’s the kicker: the forecast is doing a bit of a flip-flop today.
During the daytime, we’re looking at a high of 44°F. It’ll stay mostly cloudy, and while we’ve had rain this morning, there’s actually a 21% chance of snow mentioned for the daytime period. Now, don't go looking for your sled just yet. With a high of 44, anything that falls is going to have a hard time sticking, but don't be shocked if you see a stray flake mixing in with the drizzle.
Tonight’s Flash Freeze
Once the sun goes down, things change fast. The clouds are expected to clear out entirely, which sounds nice until you realize that means all the heat is escaping into the atmosphere.
- Low Temperature: We are cratering down to 24°F.
- Conditions: Clear skies, which usually means a crisp, beautiful night.
- Precipitation: The chance of snow or rain drops to 0%.
- Wind: Shifting to the northwest at about 9 mph.
Basically, any puddles left over from this morning’s light rain are going to be solid ice by Monday morning. If you’ve got plans early tomorrow, maybe give yourself an extra five minutes to defrost the windshield.
Historical Context: Is This Normal for January 18?
Spartanburg is weird in January. Historically, today—January 18—is actually one of the statistically coldest days of the year for our area. According to long-term data from the National Weather Service and records kept at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, our "normal" high for this date is usually around 52°F or 53°F, with lows near 34°F.
So, today’s high of 44°F is significantly chillier than the average. We aren't quite hitting the record lows—which have dipped into the negatives in years like 1893—but we're definitely in a "bundle up" cycle.
The humidity we're seeing right now (84%) is also a bit higher than the January average of 62%, which explains why the air feels so heavy. Normally, January is a relatively dry month for the Upstate, but this year has been a bit more active on the moisture front.
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What This Means for Your Week
The shift from a damp, rainy morning to a bone-dry, freezing night is a classic Upstate South Carolina move. The northwest wind coming in tonight is bringing that Canadian air down the mountains, which is why we’re seeing that 20-degree drop between the day’s high and the night’s low.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Drip those faucets: If your pipes are prone to freezing, a low of 24°F is the "danger zone," especially with the wind chill.
- Watch the roads: Since we had rain this morning and we're hitting 24°F tonight, "black ice" on bridges (looking at you, I-585 and the Business 85 interchanges) is a real possibility for the Monday morning commute.
- Check your plants: If you were optimistic and put anything sensitive outside during a warmer patch, bring it in before sunset.
The weather forecast Spartanburg SC is essentially telling us to enjoy the "warm" 44 degrees while it lasts, because by 10:00 PM, it’s going to be a totally different world out there.