Beware the Day After the Ides of March

Upstate residents in Oconee, Pickens, and Anderson Counties should prepare tonight for a severe thunderstorm outbreak Monday, March 16, starting pre-dawn in the northwest with damaging winds (60+ mph), large hail, and possible strong tornadoes as storms move eastward through the day; while the highest tornado risk lies east/south of I-85, the entire Upstate faces enhanced severe potential—have a shelter plan ready (interior room/basement with helmet, whistle, sturdy shoes, and multiple alerts via phone, TV, or weather radio) to guard against power outages, tree damage, or debris. Behind the cold front, unseasonably cold air brings damaging freezes Tuesday and especially Wednesday mornings, with Upstate lows in the mid- to upper 20s that could kill tender plants—cover or move them indoors now.