A second rare snowfall hit the Clemson area this past Tuesday, Jan. 21, only 11 days after the Jan. 10 snow day.

The forecast for the storm initially predicted South Carolina coastal counties to receive 1 to 2 inches with the Upstate areas receiving about 1 inch, according to Christopher Thomas, a state weather station technician with Clemson’s Cooperative Extension Service. As the storm settled in, though, these predictions shifted.

By the time snowflakes began falling, the National Weather Service had revised the numbers — coastal areas were now expected to get 4 to 6 inches, the Midlands 2 to 3 inches and the Upstate 1 inch.

The change in weather predictions was not because meteorologists were unprepared — this system had previously been on their radar as it developed in the Gulf — but the rapid changes in the storm’s movement made forecasting a challenge.

“Conditions became volatile, making it difficult to predict where this system was heading and how fast it was going to keep moving,” Thomas told The Tiger, emphasizing that it is difficult to manage these sudden shifts in weather but that this management is crucial for both forecasting and public safety.

When it comes to tracking snowfall, especially in areas that do not typically experience snow, Clemson has limitations. The Clemson Extension relies on Tempest weather stations, but these stations, while helpful for tracking air temperatures, aren’t ideal for detecting actual snowflakes.

Thomas explained that the haptic sensors weren’t able to capture fluffy snow particles as they fell, which made it difficult to achieve an accurate account of snow accumulation. So, while these stations helped monitor the chill and provide insight into frost hours for agriculture, tracking snowfall itself was tricky.

The second snow was met with varying responses from Clemson University students.

For Jackson Cash, a freshman from Greenville, South Carolina, the snow was a rare treat — though he had a different experience than some of his peers.

“I mostly stayed inside most of the afternoon. It wasn’t really a good snow, so it was pointless to go outside,” Cash told The Tiger in an interview. For Cash, snow is something that rarely happens back home.

“I played a lot of video games with my roommates and caught up on schoolwork,” Cash continued.

On the other hand, Daniel Brown, a freshman parks, recreation and tourism management major, saw the snow as a chance to have fun outside.

“I met a couple of guys over on the field next to downtown … and we played football for like hours. It was amazing,” Brown told The Tiger.

For students who don’t have years of experience with snow, like Skyla Rose — a freshman veterinary major from San Diego, California — it’s a whole new world.

“I’ve never lived anywhere where it snowed, so I didn’t know what to expect,” she said to The Tiger, noting that snow is a “far cry” from Southern California’s sunny days but that she’s embracing the winter wonderland, despite the cold.

“It’s fun to make snow angels or have snowball fights with my friends,” Rose continued.