Heavy snow, bitter cold about to drop on Columbia. What does winter weather look like for Midlands?

South Carolina faces a probable historic winter storm this weekend, the National Weather Service in Columbia said Jan. 31. Heavy snow bands could bring 8–12 inches in northern areas, while Columbia is forecast for 4–7 inches, with accumulation starting between 7 and 9 a.m.; a reasonable worst case is 9 inches, and there’s a 90% chance of more than 3 inches. Snow should end by 3–5 a.m. Sunday. Gusts of 25–30 mph, with some higher, may cause blowing and drifting and bitter wind chills. Major impacts now extend farther south. Warnings cover the Midlands through Monday morning.