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It has been an interesting weather weekend so far, with wet weather on Saturday.  Business is about to pick up in the SkyWACH Weather Center for the Midlands as we go into the second half of this weekend.  It's part two of a double-barreled threat, with thunderstorm potential Saturday and a wintry forecast on Sunday into Monday.

Earlier, the first threat came Saturday as thunderstorms were expected to invade portions of the area.  Severe thunderstorms were impacting Mississippi and Alabama and could have make their way into parts of the Midlands Saturday.  There was some model disagreement about where the warm sector of the approaching system will occupy.  This area will see the strongest storms.  It's likely that these storms will be to the south and west.  The closer to the Central Savannah River area, the better the chance for strong storms.  Daytime heating, instability, strong low level jet, and wind shear could make for a severe Saturday.  Heavy rain, wind damage, hail and tornadoes are a real possibility.

"This is a situation to monitor carefully," says WACH FOX News SkyWACH Weather Anchor Justin Kier.  "Any time you've got the potential for multiple, diverse weather events, it's good to preplan and exercise as much caution as possible."

Kier reminds folks to have a storm preparedness kit ready and to review your severe weather plans with family members.  "This situation will likely change as the models develop," says Kier.  "I'd recommend that you limit your time on local roadways this weekend.  But if you have to travel, please, exercise caution."

Fortunately, it was mainly a wet weather day, with some significant rain totals.  On Saturday, Columbia Metropolitan Airport set a daily rain record of 1.86 inches, which puts a small dent in the current rain deficit for 2009.

The second impact of a wild weekend forecast comes Sunday into Monday.  Models continue to evolve with this storm that looks to track across parts of the southeast before nearing the Palmetto state.  Winter storms are notoriously difficult to predict due to the many factors that have to come together.  Differences in the models make it tricky to figure out precipitation amounts/accumulation for Sunday night into Monday.  Models seem to point to a rainy Sunday that transitions into a rain/snow mix into late Sunday and finally into Monday morning.  March snow isn't unheard of for the southeast.

"I'd recommend that folks monitor local forecasts often this weekend," says Kier. "Given the amount of uncertainty, it's best to keep up with the latest information to avoid unpleasant suprises."

Many events this weekend may have a tricky time.    If you're planning to attend any outdoor soccer leagues, baseball games, soccer contests, chili cookoffs or the Harambee festival, be sure to check the forecast.

So far, according to SkyWACH Weather Anchor Jonathan Oh, it seems like South Carolina is expecting to see a white start to the month.  "Thanks to a low pressure system in the mid-West with a strong cold air mass in place, the likelihood for snow has increased," says Oh.  "The computer models are starting to agree that the system will move through South Carolina, and during early Sunday evening, snow will begin to fall.  Accumulation is expected to be anywhere from a dusting primarily south of Columbia up to two inches in the northern and western Midlands.  Up to three inches can be expected for areas near the North Carolina/South Carolina border."

Most of the snow is likely to end overnight into early Monday morning, but with lows expected to fall into the 20s, folks can expecte to see a nice layer of white snow Monday morning.

WACH FOX News and the SkyWACH Weather Team will continue to monitor this situation and give you the latest information on the weather and closings around the area.  Make sure to tune into WACH FOX 57 and log on to MidlandsConnect.com for the latest on your forecast.