The Ravenel Bridge is fully open Sunday Evening
CPD tweeted at 4:03 p.m. announcing the bridge is reopening for traffic.
By Live 5 Web Staff Published:Jan. 23, 2022 4:41 pm
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Police Department says that all lanes are back open to traffic on the Ravenel Bridge.
Falling ice earlier in the day closed lanes on the Ravenel Bridge for the second day in a row on Sunday.
CPD tweeted at 4:03 p.m. announcing the bridge is reopening for traffic.
SUNDAY TRAFFIC UPDATE: The entire Ravenel bridge as of noon Sunday, Jan. 23rd, is now closed due to falling ice.
Falling ice closes all lanes on Ravenel Bridge
By Live 5’s Dylan Leatherwood
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Falling ice is closing lanes on the Ravenel Bridge for the second day in a row Sunday.
The Charleston Police Department tweeted just before noon on Sunday that all lanes on the Ravenel Bridge were closed due to ice falling from the suspension cables.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates
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SATURDAY TRAFFIC ALERT: all northbound and 2 southbound lanes on Ravenel Bridge closed because of falling ice
SCDOT says they are on the scene along with the Charleston and Mount Pleasant Police Department to monitor conditions
By Live 5's Dylan Leatherwood
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The South Carolina Department of Transportation says that because of falling ice from the suspension cables, two southbound lanes and all northbound lanes of the Ravenel Bridge are closed.
SCDOT says they are on the scene along with the Charleston and Mount Pleasant Police Department to monitor conditions.
Motorists are advised to use alternate routes, as the situation may change depending on weather conditions, SCDOT says.
Two of the southbound lanes remain open, SCDOT says.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Photo: Golden, Kelly
Winter conditions, slick roadways and power outages across the Lowcountry Saturday morning
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Many in the Lowcountry are waking up to icy conditions and slick roadways Saturday morning.
Live 5 Meteorologist Joey Sovine says most of the wintry precipitation is offshore, but some areas may still have light freezing rain and sleet.
He says with temperatures still below freezing early Saturday morning there is still a chance of black ice on the roadways in the area, especially on bridges and overpasses.
The Summerville Police Department says a section of Berlin G Myers Parkway was shut down just before 8:30 a.m. due to inclement weather. Police say the area between East 3rd North Street and Gahagan Road. Additionally, officers say a sand and salt mixture has been applied to North Main Street at the I-26 overpass and has reopened after being closed for a short period of time.
Icy conditions were reported by the South Carolina Highway Patrol Saturday morning on many roadways in the Charleston area.
Trooper Nick Pye with the South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a vehicle that went over a guardrail in North Charleston on the Highway 52 connector at I-26. Pye said the crash was the third crash in the same area Saturday morning.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is urging people to stay off the roads until conditions in the area improve.
Around the Lowcountry, ice could be seen accumulating on signs and vehicles.
Power outages were also reported in the Lowcountry with outages maps from Dominion Energy, Berkeley Electric and Santee Cooper showing outages Saturday morning.
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LIVE LOOK: Click here for Live 5 First Alert updates!
Winter Weather Watch Affected Areas
Charleston, SC
Dorchester, SC
Inland Berkeley, SC
Inland Colleton, SC
Tidal Berkeley, SC
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...
WHAT...Significant icing possible. Total ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch possible.
WHERE...Dorchester, Inland Berkeley, Inland Colleton, Charleston and Tidal Berkeley Counties. WHEN...From Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.
IMPACTS...Difficult travel conditions are possible. Cold wind chills as low as 15 degrees Saturday morning could result in hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
FIRST ALERT: Winter Weather Advisory in effect!
Live 5's Joey Sovine, AMS Certified Meteorologist
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the entire Lowcountry. A cold front moved through overnight and colder air has moved in quickly Friday morning. It’s going to be a very wet and chilly Friday with temperatures hovering in the mid to upper 30s through most of the day. Late Friday afternoon we begin to see a few areas drop to 32° and light icing could occur shortly thereafter.
Once the sun sets, we’ll see the transition from light rain to light freezing rain take over from north to south. Light ice accumulation will begin first on trees, cars and power lines but bridges and overpasses may follow in some areas.
Slick spots are certainly possible overnight and early Saturday morning.
Avoid traveling unless necessary tonight! The freezing rain may end as a very brief period of sleet or light snow, especially across our inland areas near I-95 and north of I-26. Little to no accumulation is expected.
It will be a cold start to our Saturday but temperatures will climb above freezing by mid-morning with the sunshine beginning to peek out as well. If roads become icy overnight, there should be a rapid improvement throughout Saturday morning.
We’re going to stay chilly through the weekend with highs in the low 40s Saturday, upper 40s on Sunday.
FRIDAY: Cloudy, rainy and cold. Rain Changes to Freezing Rain Late. High 40.
SATURDAY: Freezing Rain Ends Early. Clouds to Sunshine. High 41.
SUNDAY: Sunny and Chilly. High 49.
MONDAY: Sunny Sky. High 54.
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Photo: Golden, Kelly
THE LIST: Weather-related closings and cancellations announced
Live 5's Patrick Phillips
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - With the chance of winter precipitation this weekend, some schools, colleges and government offices are adjusting their schedules.
The Live 5 Weather team declared Friday and Saturday as First Alert Weather Days because of the threat of winter weather.
Here is the latest list of scheduling changes.
NOTE: This list is being updated as new information comes in, so be sure to check back for updates.
Schools, Colleges and Universities
Berkeley County School District - Students will have an eLearning day on Friday and all before and after school activities are canceled. In addition, district officials say athletics and extracurricular activities are canceled on Saturday and Sunday.
Charleston County School District - Friday is an eLearning day for students. District officials say extracurricular and afterschool programs are canceled for Friday and Saturday.
Dorchester County School District Two - Friday has been designated an eLearning day for students in the district. All district schools and facilities will be closed on Friday. District officials say extracurricular activities, including athletic events and practices as well as extended day are canceled for Friday and Saturday.
First Baptist School of Charleston - Both the Charleston and James Island campuses of First Baptist School of Charleston will be closed Friday.
Georgetown County School District - The district says all schools and facilities will be closed and all school activities, including athletic events, are canceled for Friday and Saturday. Officials with the district say that the day will not have to be made up and asynchronous instruction will be provided to all students.
Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College - OC Tech will be closed Friday because of the threat of winter weather.
Trident Technical College - Trident Technical College’s campuses and sites will be closed on Friday. Classes will move to a virtual format. Online and scheduled online meeting classes will proceed as scheduled. Students in in-person classes scheduled to meet on Friday should check the D2L learning platform for instructions from their instructors. Employees who are able should telecommute.
We Care for Children Child Development Center - The center will be closed Friday because of the chance of winter weather.
Williamsburg County School District - District officials say assignments will be posted for students or handed out as hard copy assignments. Parents are asked to contact their child’s school with any questions.
Local Government Offices, Agencies
Beaufort County - Free NARCAN Training scheduled for Saturday in Bluffton and Beaufort has been canceled because of the possibility of winter weather.
Berkeley County - Berkeley County Government Offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday.
City of Charleston - City of Charleston offices will close at 2 p.m. Friday. All city parks and recreation facilities, as well as scheduled programs, will close at 2 p.m. Friday and are expected to reopen at noon on Saturday if conditions allow. The workshop on the city’s new composting program scheduled for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Frothy Beard’s outdoor patio has been canceled. Garbage and trash crews will run their routes as long as conditions allow. If they are unable to finish because of unsafe weather conditions, they will resume collection first thing Monday morning.
Charleston County - Charleston County Government Offices will close at 2 p.m. Friday. The Charleston County Citizens Information Line will be open Friday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Residents can call 843-746-3900, or 843-746-3909 for Spanish, to get information about the winter storm. Please do not call this line to report a power outage or an emergency. Power outages can be reported directly to power providers. For emergencies, please dial 911. Convenience Centers will close at 2 p.m. on Friday and will remain closed on Saturday. All sites will resume normal hours on Monday. Recycling pickup will occur on schedule until 2 p.m. Any homes not serviced will be picked up first on their next scheduled service day.
Charleston County Parks - All Charleston County parks will close at 2 p.m. on Friday and reopen at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The Campground at James Island County Park will remain open to registered guests.
Charleston County Public Libraries - All branches will close at noon Friday. All book drops/material returns will remain open. Charleston County Public Libraries will monitor weather conditions on Saturday and adjust operations as needed.
Colleton County - Colleton County Government will close all offices at 1 p.m. Friday because of the weather. Convenience centers will also close at 1 p.m. and reopen at noon on Saturday. Public safety and other essential personnel will be on duty.
Dorchester County -Dorchester County Administrative Offices, Dorchester County Circuit, Family and Magistrate Courts, and Dorchester County Libraries will close at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Georgetown County - Georgetown City offices and Georgetown County offices and facilities will close at noon on Friday. Parks and Recreation facilities won’t open at all as the area prepares for severe winter weather. All offices and facilities will close at noon, with exception of the landfill and community recycling centers, which will close at 1 p.m. Friday. The landfill will reopen at noon Saturday. All Georgetown County Library branches will be closed all day Saturday.
Moncks Corner - Moncks Corner Town Hall will close at 3 p.m. on Friday. Trash pick-up will remain on schedule for Friday and residents should put out trash by 7 a.m. Regional Recreation Sports are canceled. Berkeley County COVID Testing at the Regional Recreation Complex will be suspended on Friday and resume next week.
Orangeburg County - Orangeburg County Government offices will be closed on Friday.
Williamsburg County - Williamsburg County Government Offices will be closed on Friday.
Businesses and Civic Organizations
Park Circle Cares - Park Circle Cares has canceled their Mass Food Distribution scheduled for Saturday at North Charleston High School.
Reporting Power Outages or Downed Lines
Berkeley Electric Cooperative - Customers can call their automated outage reporting system, 24 hours a day at 1-888-253-4232.
Dominion Energy - Customers can report downed or sparking lines by calling 888-333-4465.
Santee Cooper - Residential and commercial customers can report outages at stormcenter.santeecooper.com or by calling 888-769-7688.
Warming shelters to open Friday
The following warming centers will open on Friday:
Aldersgate UMC Warming Shelter is located at 1444 Remount Rd. in North Charleston. Admission hours are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the center will close at 7 a.m. the next morning. Both dinner and breakfast will be served. The shelter has a capacity of 75 and is open to men, women and children (no pets). Because of current COVID-19 safety precautions, anyone feeling sick or exhibiting flu-like symptoms may not be admitted. Any site-specific questions can be directed to the Aldersgate office at 843-744-0283.
Seacoast West Ashley Warming Center is located at 2049 Savannah Hwy. in West Ashley. The entrance to the warming center is through the back of the building. Admission hours are from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the center will close at 7 a.m. the next morning. Dinner and a to-go breakfast/lunch will be served. The shelter has a capacity of 35 and will take in men, women and children (no pets). Because of current COVID-19 safety precautions, anyone feeling sick or exhibiting flu-like symptoms may not be admitted. Any site-specific questions can be directed to the Seacoast office at 843-375-1085.
Hibben UMC Warming Shelter is located at 690 Coleman Blvd. in Mount Pleasant. Admission hours are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the center will close at 7 a.m. the next morning. A dinner and a to-go breakfast/lunch will be served. The shelter has a capacity of 20 and will take in men, women and children (no pets).
Because of current COVID-19 safety precautions, anyone feeling sick or exhibiting flu-like symptoms may not be admitted. Any site-specific questions can be directed to the Hibben office at 843-884-9761.
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