Too polar for a plunge? Myrtle Beach cold challenge cancelled amid winter storm

Polar plunge participants have to be prepared for frigid temperatures, but this weekend’s Myrtle Beach fundraiser has been cancelled as a looming winter storm could make the plunge too polar for volunteers.

“I’m very sad to say that, due to some inclement weather that’s due to arrive in our area, parts of our county, by 10:00 tomorrow morning, we are going to have to cancel all of our live Polar Plunge events at Sands Ocean Club,” said Director Marcus Rhodes with the Horry County Sheriff’s Office.

Before the cancellation, participants were ready to brave the cold on Saturday to raise money for Special Olympics Programs in South Carolina.

Instead, the group will transition to virtual events on Saturday to contribute to the Special Olympics. Rhodes promised to update participants on how to turn in the money they raised and collect their participatory swag.

“We’re going to still have a great day, we’re just going to have to do it differently,” Rhodes said. “But there again, that’s us adjusting to our situation like our athletes have to adjust to the world that they live in every day.”

The polar plunge was set for Saturday when the Myrtle Beach area is expected to get up to a foot of snow and extreme cold temperatures. Wind chills are expected to be in the single digits Saturday night through Sunday.

This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 12:23 PM.