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AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Snow fell all across the CSRA on Saturday, and some “magical” things took place.

The first snowfall of the season brought memorable moments to families across Edgefield and Aiken counties.

In Edgefield, little Callie experienced her first snow after her father Jeff drove the family up from Central Florida specifically for the weather event.

“When we saw it on the windshield, it was squeals and oohs and ahs – it’s a magical time,” Jeff said.

Jeff decided to make the trip north when he saw the forecast calling for snow in the area.

“We don’t get snow, we don’t get to experience it, and it’s kind of magical. We watch YouTube videos where people are playing in snow, and she’s been wanting to see it ever since,” he said.

Callie said snow angels were on her agenda for the day.

In Aiken, the snowfall provided the backdrop for an unexpected marriage proposal at Hopeland Gardens as Robert surprised Ashley during his brief visit home.

“This was the best surprise ever,” Ashley said.

Robert had flown down from Canada, where he is currently working, for just one day to propose.

The couple has been together for four and a half years.

“This has been coming... and we finally got a chance to do it,” Robert said.

And funny enough, another family made a four-hour drive from Florida to the S.C. midlands on Saturday to catch a glimpse of snow.

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Justin Mak said his family made their way up from Jacksonville to downtown Lexington so his children could experience a little bit of winter.

“We found there was a winter storm coming. These guys [his children] are always begging me to see snow,” he said. “We see the beach and the sand all the time, and that’s kind of normal for us. But seeing snow is not as normal. When I found out it was going to be close by...it’s only a four-hour drive. We got a hotel room last night and just to come up here to see it.”

AIKEN — The snow is over, but the bitter cold remains.

According to meteorologist Chris Landolfi out of the National Weather Service’s Columbia forecast office, Aiken County generally received around 2-3 inches of snow from Winter Storm Gianna, with some portions receiving slightly less than two inches.

Landolfi said that temperatures on the night of Jan. 31 dropped into the mid-teens with low wind chills and that the night of Feb. 1 were expected to be “similarly cold although the wind is expected to weaken.”

Several power outages were reported in Aiken County, but most were resolved by early afternoon Feb. 1. The Aiken Electric Cooperative Outage Map reports two outages as of 2 p.m. Dominion Energy reports no outages in Aiken County as of 2 p.m.

Many government facilities were closed over the weekend and have altered their hours for Monday, Feb. 2.

The Aiken County Public School District has announced that Monday, Feb. 2 will be an e-learning day and a decision regarding Tuesday’s instruction will be announced no later than 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.

The Edgefield County School District is transitioning to e-learning on Monday as well and non-virtual afterschool activities are being canceled.

Edgefield County Schools will provide an update regarding instruction on Tuesday no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 2.

USC Aiken plans to resume normal operations on Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. All classes prior to 1 p.m. are canceled.

Aiken Technical College will have a delayed start on Monday. Campus operations and classes will resume at 1 p.m.

Aiken County Government public facilities, residential collection centers and landfills will also have a delayed start on Monday at 1 p.m.

The City of Aiken will operate on a delayed opening schedule on Monday, Feb. 2. All city public offices and facilities will open at 10 a.m. and close at the facility’s normal schedule time. Solid waste routes will operate on their normal schedule Monday, Feb. 2.

All North Augusta city facilities were closed on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 and have not yet announced a delayed start time for facilities on Monday, Feb. 2.

Although sunny conditions on Feb. 1 and high temperatures in the 30s melted most of Saturday’s snow, Landolfi says there is still concern about icy spots on the road for morning travel.

He noted that travel could continue to be hazardous, “especially on secondary roads.”

The Aiken County Sheriff's Office urged caution during travel: Bridges, overpasses, and shaded roadways may become slick with little to no warning, the sheriff's office said in a social media post.

Also, they urged motorists to stay off the road and delay travel until conditions improve.

If you must drive, the post continued, reduce speed, increase following distance and avoid sudden braking or sharp turns.

AIKEN — While a powerful winter storm wreaked havoc in some parts of the Southeast last weekend when it left behind a coat of crippling ice, there were reports of only flurries or a light accumulation of snow in Aiken County.

But don’t put away the warm boots and heavy coats yet.

Frozen precipitation is in the forecast again as the first month of the year nears its end.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch the morning of Thursday, Jan. 29. It will be in effect from 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30 until 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1.

“We are going to have an upper trough of really cold air, and it’s going to start pushing into the region this weekend,” said Drew Hickok, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Columbia. “An area of low pressure also should develop off the coast. Because the low pressure will be off the coast, that will allow that colder air to funnel into the Midlands [and CSRA]. When that [cold air] overlaps with the moisture that will be streaming in, it will set the stage for the winter weather that we are expecting this weekend.”

The “expected range” of the snowfall total in the Aiken area as of Jan. 29 was one to three inches, according to Hickok.

“But one thing is worth noting, especially if you head south towards Aiken County,” he said. “I think there will be a pretty good cutoff in terms of where the highest accumulations occur, so we could see some shifts in the next 24 hours of where exactly that line will end up.

“It could go either way,” Hickok continued. “There could be a shift to the south where more accumulation moves south toward Aiken. But you also could see a shift more to north where Aiken would see a little less. Either way, just in general, the chances for accumulation have increased quite a bit.”

The high temperature Saturday, Jan. 31, will be near 35 degrees and the nighttime low will be around 17.

During the day, the chance of precipitation will be 90% and it will drop to 50% in the evening.

On Sunday, Feb. 1, it will be sunny, with a high near 36 degrees. The nighttime low will be around 18.

“We could see the wind chills moving down into the lower single digits,” Hickok said. “While the snow will be impactful to travel, the cold will be just as impactful, so people should definitely be aware of just how cold it is going to be.”

The Weather Channel forecast as of the morning of Jan. 29 also was calling for a one- to three-inch snowfall total locally.

Editor's note: The Aiken Standard asked leaders from around Aiken County to share their goals for 2026.

As Western South Carolina looks toward 2026, economic development efforts will focus on sustaining momentum while laying the groundwork for long-term, balanced growth. Aiken County, a key driver within the western region of the state, is expected to continue attracting new capital investment and creating jobs, particularly within the manufacturing sector. While the pace of announcements may not match the unprecedented activity of the past 18 months, the projects that do move forward are anticipated to be meaningful and impactful for the local economy.

A central priority for 2026 will be the continued development of the North Fork Commerce Park in eastern Aiken County. Significant progress is planned, including completion of the entry road, installation of signage, and landscaping improvements that enhance the park’s visibility and readiness. Equally important, water and sewer infrastructure will be extended to the site. These investments are critical steps toward fully positioning the park as a competitive, market-ready location for new industrial prospects. Once completed, North Fork Commerce Park will strengthen Aiken County’s inventory of available sites and improve its ability to compete for high-quality manufacturing projects.

Supporting existing industry will remain a cornerstone of economic development strategy. In 2026, leaders will meet with every manufacturing company currently operating in Aiken County. These visits serve two vital purposes: gathering real-time intelligence on industry needs and challenges, and proactively assisting companies that may be considering expansions. Retaining and growing existing employers not only protects current jobs but often leads to faster, more sustainable economic gains than recruitment alone.

Marketing efforts will also continue at an aggressive pace. Aiken County, along with the other three counties that make up the Western South Carolina region, will be promoted to prospective companies and site selection professionals both domestically and internationally. This regional approach highlights shared assets, workforce strengths, and infrastructure advantages that make Western South Carolina an attractive destination for investment.

Workforce development will be further strengthened through ongoing collaboration with Aiken County Public Schools. Building on a dialogue that began in mid-2025, economic development leaders will encourage guidance and career counselors to visit local manufacturing facilities. These visits will help educators better understand the careers available right now, right here in Aiken County, and allow them to guide students toward viable, well-paying career paths.

Overall, Western South Carolina enters 2026 from a position of strength. Thanks in large part to the continued efforts of Aiken County Council to keep taxes and regulations from becoming burdensome, the region remains competitive, business-friendly, and well-prepared for the next phase of economic growth.

AIKEN — Rain on Jan. 3 didn’t stop Aiken’s newest Tractor Supply from bringing in customers on its opening day.

The new store is located on Rutland Drive across from Aiken High School and next to the Sprint convenience store.

This is now the third location of the chain in Aiken County, with another on Whiskey Road and one in North Augusta.

Just after making his first purchase at the new spot, customer Tom Powers took a moment to talk about the impact of the store’s location on Aiken's Northside.

For him, the Whiskey Road location was a bit too out of the way to stop by regularly. Now, he said, he’ll be able to make more frequent trips.

“I just walked through. It looks great,” Powers said. “I think it’s great … we need stuff on this side of town.”

Powers is not the only one hoping to see more development in this part of Aiken.

“When you see a development like this, it often brings secondary growth with it. Other businesses tend to follow. So, any positive growth on the Northside is real progress, not just for this area but for the entire city,” said Gail Diggs, Aiken City Councilwoman representing District 1.

“My hope, my prayers, are that all of this new development coming to the Northside brings more restaurants as well as grocery stores. That’s what we really need,” she said.

As for the Tractor Supply, Diggs noted that it’s a business “that really helps meet the needs of all of our citizens, especially for the folks in District 1.”

The community is invited to join in on the store’s official opening celebration on Jan. 10 starting at 8 a.m. and lasting all day. There will be food trucks and festivities in the parking lot during the event.

Charles Schmidt founded Tractor Supply Co. in Chicago in 1938 as a mail-order business that sold tractor parts. The first Tractor Supply store opened in 1939 in Minot, North Dakota.

As of Sept. 27, 2025, there were 2,364 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states in the chain. The company also was operating 206 Petsense by Tractor Supply stores in 23 states.