Storms rolled eastward across the state during the early morning hours on Monday. Shortly after midnight, the Columbia AP measured a southwest wind of 49 mph and at 2:50 a.m., the Charleston AP recorded a south wind of 52 mph. Strong west winds helped clear skies during Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, Florence recorded west winds at 23 mph gusting to 38 at 2:00 p.m. Diminishing surface winds on Wednesday morning allowed temperatures to fall to 22 degrees at both Pelion and Cedar Creek. A sharp rise in the mercury was observed at Dillon Thursday when the temperature rose from a morning low of 26 degrees to 68 that afternoon. A complicated weather system approached on Friday evening with rains changing to snow and sleet for parts of the Midlands, Piedmont and Upstate. The heaviest snow was centered just east of Spartanburg with Converse measuring 5 inches. N Lancaster County received a mixture of snow and sleet that totaled 3.5 inches. Whitmire and Pageland reported 1.5 inches of sleet and Heath Springs and Kershaw reported a one-half inch coating of freezing rain. Sleet and or freezing rain fell as far south as Dorchester, Berkeley and Charleston counties. The greatest rainfall amounts measured for the event were 1.59 inches at Pelion and 1.54 inches at Givhans. Saturday's temperatures remained around freezing for most of inland South Carolina. Mostly sunny and moderately warmer weather returned for Sunday helping to improve the condition of iced roadways. At January's end, both Columbia's and Charleston's average temperature was their coldest in 22 years. Table Rock received 9.26 inches of rain while N Myrtle Beach only 2.44 inches. The state average temperature for the period was 1 degree below normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 68 degrees at Camden, Shaw AFB, Sandy Run, Dillon and Manning on January 25 and at Dillon on January 28. The lowest official temperature reported was 17 degrees at Rock Hill AP on January 31. The heaviest official 24-hour rain reported was 3.74 inches at Table Rock ending at 7:00 a.m. on January 25. The state average rainfall for the period was 1.3 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Total Total from Avg
Greer 0.79 5.57 1.2
Anderson 0.56 5.27 0.7
Columbia 0.90 3.18 -1.5
Orangeburg 1.26 5.53 0.8
Charlotte, NC 0.99 4.88 0.9
Augusta, GA 0.44 5.39 0.9
Florence 1.19 3.30 -0.8
N Myrtle Beach 1.20 2.44 -1.2
Charleston 2.85 6.46 2.4
Savannah, GA 2.16 6.28 2.3
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 47 degrees, Charleston 48 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were above normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 46 degrees.
