Possible snow totals grow to a foot for Myrtle Beach area. What to expect from storm
.JPG "Myrtle Beach residents and visitors enjoyed a rare snow day on Jan. 22, 2025. Now, the area is expected to receive more snow beginning on Jan. 31, 2026.")
A streak of unusual wintry weather is continuing in South Carolina, and the Myrtle Beach area could be on track to see snowfall — possibly over 12 inches.
All of Horry County and its surrounding counties were upgraded to a winter storm warning watch by the National Weather Service Friday, which expressed high confidence in a Thursday briefing that rare wind chills would sweep the area over the weekend, along with some snow. Snow onset is now trending earlier than expected, and could start as early as Saturday morning.
The area is also under an extreme cold watch for early Saturday evening through Monday morning, and a cold weather advisory is in effect for parts of the region Friday night through Saturday evening
Dangerously cold temperatures are expected to bring wind chills down into the single digits on Saturday and Sunday nights. Confidence continued to increase throughout Thursday for significant snowfall in the area. Snow is expected to be dry and powdery, which can create particularly hazardous travel conditions when combined with the strong, frequent winds that are on the way.
“This is a very fascinating, interesting and rare event for the Carolinas,” NWS meteorologist Ian Boatman said. Boatman explained that to get snow, you need two “ingredients:” moisture and freezing cold air. Usually, the Carolinas have one but not the other when winter weather rolls through.
“This time, we have that perfect setup,” Boatman said.
The weather service predicts that some of the coldest Arctic air recorded this winter season will begin settling into the area on Friday, sticking around until early next week. There will also be single-digit wind chills and dangerously cold temperatures on Saturday and Sunday night.
Over the weekend, a low pressure system is expected to form just offshore, leading to a significant winter storm for the Carolinas on Saturday and Sunday. Snow will be the main precipitation type, but how much remains uncertain.
Myrtle Beach snow predictions
On the low end of the weather service’s predictions, the Myrtle Beach area could receive 3 inches of snow over the weekend. But on the high end, it could get over 12 inches. The variation has to do with how much dry air moves into the area over the weekend. More dry air means lower totals, where less dry air means higher totals. As of Thursday morning, Boatman said the official snow forecast for Myrtle Beach is 3 inches, “but there’s nuance to it.”
Boatman explained that somewhere in the southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina area, there is going to be a “spray of moisture” that makes snow totals go up locally. But exactly where that spray of moisture will land is hard to pinpoint.
Snow could start as early as Saturday morning, but the bulk of the snow is expected to take place late Saturday into Sunday morning, stopping soon after.
Hazardous travel conditions expected
Travel will be very hazardous from Saturday evening into Monday morning, according to the weather service, which recommends avoiding travel if possible. There will also be very strong winds, around 25 to 35 mph, Saturday afternoon unto Sunday.
Low-lying roads and adjacent tidal creeks might see some flooding during morning and evening high tide cycles on Saturday and Sunday. Hazardous surf conditions will be present Saturday through Sunday.
For the Carolinas, Boatman said “this is an event that you’re going to remember.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 9:54 AM.
