A welcomed break in the cold was observed on Monday with much of the state reporting afternoon high temperatures in the middle to upper 60's. An energetic cold front raced through the state on Tuesday but not before Conway reached 69 degrees. Runway sensors at Shaw AFB, Darlington AP and Florence AP recorded a 3:00 p.m. minimum barometric pressure value of 29.51 inches of mercury. Isolated storm cells formed over Sullivan's Island and produced one-inch hail at 3:40 p.m. Nearby Fort Johnson recorded a wind gust of 48 mph. Sharply falling temperatures arrived on Wednesday. Caesars Head reported periods of snow flurries. The sunrise temperature at Sandy Springs fell to 18 degrees. The noon hour temperature at Conway of 32 degrees on Wednesday was 27 degrees colder than at the same hour on Tuesday. Successive and colder waves entered the state on Thursday and Friday. Ninety Nine Islands noted a Thursday minimum of 15 degrees and Union and Chesnee reported 17 degrees. The temperature on Friday morning fell to 5 degrees at Long Creek, 10 degrees at Greenville-Spartanburg AP and 12 degrees at Rock Hill. At 10:00 a.m., instruments at Columbia's Hamilton-Owens AP recorded a "crest" of high pressure of 30.65 inches of mercury. Chester never made it above freezing on Friday with a high temperature of just 28 degrees. Saturday morning proved to be "date record" cold for Columbia Metro AP at 11 degrees, Florence Regional AP at 12 degrees and N Myrtle Beach AP at 13 degrees. Shallow, tidal creeks within Murrells Inlet were observed covered in thin ice. Saturday afternoon's fast return of milder surface winds pushed the mercury to 59 degrees at Beaufort. Mostly sunny weather on Sunday was accompanied by brisk southwest winds and seasonal temperatures. Saluda, Edisto Beach and Georgetown reported an afternoon high temperature of 54 degrees. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was six degrees below the long-term average.
The highest official temperature reported was 70 degrees at Cheraw, Conway, Barnwell, Bennettsville and Charleston AP on January 20. The lowest official temperature reported was -2 degrees at Caesars Head on January 24. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 0.20 inches at Conway ending at 7:00 a.m. on January 22. The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 0.0 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Anderson AP 0.00 3.13 -0.2
Greer AP 0.00 3.09 -0.1
Charlotte, NC AP 0.00 2.80 -0.1
Columbia Metro AP 0.00 3.18 0.2
Orangeburg AP 0.00 1.75 -1.5
Augusta, GA Bush AP 0.00 2.22 -1.0
Florence AP 0.00 2.01 -0.7
N Myrtle Beach AP 0.00 1.52 -1.4
Charleston AP 0.00 2.08 -1.0
Savannah, GA AP 0.00 2.10 -1.0
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 44 degrees, Charleston 47 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near normal. The ocean water temperature at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach was unavailable. Charleston Harbor reported a water temperature of 48 degrees.
