(WPDE) — After a strong cold front earlier in the week, very cold and dry Arctic air hangs over the Grand Strand and Pee Dee during the first week of January. However, the weather agency team is already tracking our next strong storm system.

Confidence is high that this next storm system is likely to arrive late Friday, January 10th and continue through Saturday, January 11th. Another strong cold front will follow this system and likely move through late Saturday.

The question that arises with this system is whether there will be winter precipitation in the area.

Currently, the forecast is for mostly cool showers and a slight chance of a rain/snow/sleet/ice mix.

But overall the answer to this depends on the track and will probably shift a bit in the next few days.

It probably won’t go out to sea to provide snow for most of the Carolinas. A track is more likely to form along the coast or just inland, allowing a layer of warm air to penetrate and produce different types of precipitation in the Carolinas.

Any moisture that comes into our area on Friday will need to overcome the very dry air, but once it does, there may be some severe weather inland before the relatively warmer air takes effect and turns precipitation into sleet, freezing rain and then turned into simple rain.

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If we have frozen precipitation in our area, it would benefit the areas along and west of I-95. For areas east of I-95 to the coast, chances are good that it will just rain for the duration of the event.

Because the winter weather forecast can shift and change in the lead-up to an event (even a degree or two can make a difference), the weather agency team is closely monitoring forecast models and available data on this storm system.

By midweek, the team should have a clear idea of ​​what Grand Strand and Pee Dee can expect.