Myrtle Beach can expect a calm winter — but it’s 2020, so maybe prepare for the worst
Myrtle Beach is a coastal town in the South. It’s easy to think that you probably don’t need to worry about preparing for winter weather.
But that’s exactly how the cold season sneaks up on South Carolina to bring catastrophe, officials say.
The region dodged most of 2020’s catastrophic hurricane season, and it appears to be on track for a calm(er) winter. Thanks to La Niña, Myrtle Beach can expect a warmer, drier — though still chilly — next few months, the National Weather Service said.
This means that Myrtle Beach can expect fewer winter storms than usual. But meteorologists and emergency management experts ask that people prepare nonetheless, as winter weather can develop with only a few days’ warning, and some of the worst conditions can be deceptively dangerous.
Winter in Myrtle Beach
The region isn’t going to see many inches (or feet) of snow like neighbors farther north. But the area typically will see about 25 nights a year that reach freezing. When that happens, Myrtle Beach could see snow or ice.
Snow is the more common of the two, NWS meteorologist Tim Armstrong said, but ice can happen as well. Or, more dangerously, if the snow doesn’t stick to the ground, then it can melt and refreeze overnight and turn into near-invisible “black ice.”
Ice is also more common farther inland. Conway and Aynor run much higher risks of seeing the more dangerous side of cold weather than Myrtle Beach, Armstrong said.
Any time winter weather is on the way — Armstrong said we usually have about four or five days’ warning — it’s best to get any last-minute essentials and reduce the need to go out when the storm arrives. Snow and ice can be deceptively dangerous, even for those who have experience with it.
January is typically the coldest month of the year, Armstrong said. Wilmington, the closest place the NWS has detailed data for, averages about a 1-inch snowstorm every two and a half years and a 6-inch snowstorm every 10 years.
Driving in winter weather
Winter weather in Myrtle Beach can be as dangerous, if not more, than in places farther north (we see you, New Englanders). Unlike New York or Connecticut, places that get snow and ice every year, Grand Strand cities don’t have as much, or any, of the equipment necessary to deal with ice on roads.
“Even though winter weather does not occur every year in the eastern Carolinas, it still can be very, very impactful,” Armstrong said. “We see with a lot of folks here in Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, they come down from other parts of the country, they think that 1 or 2 inches would not impact the fact that there is very little, if any, equipment here. I mean, any accumulations, even trace amounts, can cause severe traffic issues.”
Many parts of the county will never see salt or sand trucks, which are the most common tools for treating icy streets. And the lack of consistency of snow versus rainfall means that trucks could go out to pour saltwater onto roads only for rain to wash it away, letting roads refreeze overnight, Armstrong said.
“Whenever there’s an ice event or snow event or we see water on the road, it freezes, and our collisions increase dramatically,” said David Jones, a community relations officer for the S.C. Highway Patrol. “We encourage people if there’s going to be snow or there’s going to be ice on the road, stay off the roads, because a lot of people move to South Carolina, make the comment that they have great experience driving in snow, but what none of us expect to encounter as black ice.”
For those in a situation where they must drive, here’s advice from the SC Highway Patrol.
- Give yourself extra time. People will likely be driving slower, and a usual 15-minute commute might take two or three times as long.
- Drive slower. The faster you are going, the more likely you will end up in a bad situation if you run over unseen ice or someone abruptly stops in front of you.
- If you do hit ice, don’t slam on the breaks. Just let off the gas.
- Have your tires checked. If they have worn out tread that will reduce traction on ice even further.
- Keep antifreeze levels up as well.
- And while it might take a few minutes, defrost your entire windshield every time you go out. Accidents can easily occur when drivers can only see out of a tiny hole in the windshield.
- Call *47 if you end up, or someone else appears to be, stranded to get help as soon as possible.
- Keep some supplies, like food and water, in your vehicle in case you do end up stranded for more than a few minutes.
Prepare now, not later
South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division recommends stocking up on nonperishable items. Go for canned soup, items that can be stored in the freezer and pet food.
And make sure to have a plan for keeping pets warm, too. Outdoor cats or dogs need to be brought in if it dips anywhere near freezing, sooner if they have a thinner coat, EMD spokesman Derrec Becker said.
In general, have at least 72 hours worth of food, toiletries and other supplies for you household, Becker said. Two weeks worth of supplies is ideal.
This includes “anything, your family uses every day, just having enough of it on hand that you could live off what you’ve got at home without having to go out and get more,” Becker said.
While winter storms that bring power outages are not as common near the coast, it’s also important to have a plan for heating and electricity as well, like keeping portable phone batteries charged.
Heating safety is especially important — winter is typically the most dangerous time of the year for home fires in SC. Here are some tips on what to keep in mind:
- Space heaters can easily cause fires. Keep an eye on them and make sure to keep them away from flammable objects.
- If you have a generator, always read all the safety instructions, and make sure it is outside. Don’t put it your garage, put it outside. Having it anywhere indoors can create a carbon monoxide poisoning risk.
- Make sure all of your pipes are properly insulated as well, and if it gets close to freezing, start a sink drip to prevent them from freezing.
- However, make sure to turn off irrigation systems when it gets close to freezing. Runoff from watering a yard can easily turn into ice on the road.
Because COVID-19 affects every part of life, it does affect how to handle winter weather as well. Should widespread power outages or the need for winter weather shelters arrive, South Carolinians will see many of the virus checks and other protocols seen at indoor businesses and government buildings.
People will need to wear masks, and workers will conduct temperature checks at the door. However, there will be more shelters in more places to reduce the number of people brought into close proximity, Becker said. People with COVID-19 symptoms will still be brought indoors if necessary, but secluded so as to reduce spread of infection to others.
