The South Carolina coast can expect freezing temperatures and bitter winds early next week as an Arctic cold front sweeps through the region, forecasters said.

From Myrtle Beach to Charleston to Hilton Head, temperatures will fall quickly on Dec. 14, plummeting throughout the day and dropping into the 20s at night, according to National Weather Service outposts in Wilmington and Charleston .

Bob Bright, a meteorologist with the Wilmington office, warned that the sudden shift could catch some people off guard.

"It'll be a pretty rapid change," he said.

A cold weather advisory likely will be issued for the night of Dec. 14 through the morning of Dec. 15.

Residents should prepare for winds around 20 mph, which could send the wind chill below 15 degrees, forecasters said.

Daytime hig

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