Unseasonably mild weather was observed on both Monday and Tuesday. Afternoon high temperatures warmed into the middle 70's. A strong cold front raced through the state on Wednesday. Winds at both the Columbia and Florence airports gusted to 35 mph. A hard freeze was reported on New Year's Day, Thursday morning. Temperatures during the afternoon remained in the 40's for most sites despite the full day of sun. Much milder conditions began on Friday with periods of fog, drizzle and showers. On Saturday, several locations across the Upstate received rainfall amounts exceeding one-half inch. The grey skies continued into the weekend. On Sunday morning, Shaw AFB and nearby McEntire AP reported dense fog with visibilities of less than one-tenth of a mile. Pritchardville and the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station warmed to 75 degrees Sunday afternoon and Cades, in Williamsburg County, measured 0.98 inches of rain from a heavy shower. The state average temperature for the period was three degrees above normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 78 degrees at Walterboro on December 30. The lowest official temperature reported was 15 degrees at Cheraw on January 1. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.03 inches at Lake Wylie ending at 7:00 a.m. on January 4. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.3 inches.
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Total Total from Avg
Greer 0.47 00.47 -0.1
Columbia 0.18 00.17 -0.4
Orangeburg 0.77 00.67 0.1
Charlotte, NC 0.55 00.54 0.1
Augusta, GA 0.38 00.38 -0.1
Florence 0.28 00.06 -0.5
N Myrtle Beach 0.46 00.27 -0.2
Charleston 0.14 00.14 -0.4
Savannah, GA 0.03 00.03 -0.5
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 54 degrees.
South Carolina river stages were near normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 53 degrees.
