The agency forecasts snow accumulations of 12 to 18 inches during this time for areas above 6,000 feet, while areas over 4,000 feet should expect 3 to 6 inches. On Saturday, wind gusts could reach 50 miles per hour in speed, with travel becoming "very difficult to impossible."

The forecast doubled the amount of snow expected in the Columbia area, as up to 2 inches of the white stuff is now forecast to accumulate, according to the warning. Between 2-3 inches of snowfall is possible in the southern reaches of the Midlands, meteorologists said in the briefing. Localized amounts in other areas could be higher.

A powerful and rare winter storm swept across the South on Tuesday, bringing the first-ever Blizzard Warning to the Gulf Coast and blasting communities from Texas to Florida to the Carolinas with record-shattering snow that snarled travel and brought daily life to a halt.