Monday's sleet and freezing rain fell from the Upstate and into the north Midlands through the evening hours and overnight. Chester's Monday high temperature only made it to 34 degrees while Charleston reached 63 degrees. At midnight, 1.3 inches of sleet had fallen at Greenville's Bob Jones University. Charleston City reported south winds of 28 mph gusting 39 mph at 3:00 a.m. Tuesday morning's light revealed a one-half inch thickness of freezing rain on exposed surfaces from Greenwood County eastward through Newberry, Fairfield, Lancaster and Chesterfield counties. Icing caused disruptions to electrical service, road and school closings. Melted rainfall measurements included 1.42 inches at McCormick, 0.98 inches at Dillon and Little Mountain, 0.91 inches at Edgefield and 0.80 inches at Galivant's Ferry. Tuesday's high temperature at Fountain Inn, Chester and Longtown only made it to 33 degrees. The season's coldest air began arriving on Wednesday. At 1:00 p.m., the Greenville Downtown AP noted west winds gusting to 40 mph. Shaw AFB noted west winds gusting to 45 mph at 2:52 p.m. and the Columbia Metro AP recorded gusts of 48 mph at 3:36 p.m. Sassafras Mt. instruments indicated a Wednesday high temperature of 25 degrees. Folly Beach awoke to a sunrise temperature on Thursday morning of 26 degrees. It was 9 degrees in Clinton. At noon, all reporting sites in South Carolina were at or below freezing. The afternoon high temperatures at Columbia Metro AP (34 degrees) and at Charleston AP (36 degrees) both set date record "lowest maximum." Walterboro reported the state's highest temperature on Thursday at 38 degrees. Date record minimum temperatures on Friday morning included Greenville-Spartanburg AP (9 degrees), Columbia Metro AP (12 degrees), Florence Regional AP (13 degrees), N Myrtle Beach AP (15 degrees) and Charleston AP (18 degrees). Ninety Nine Islands on the Broad River came in at 2 degrees. It was 6 degrees in Rock Hill, 13 degrees in Aiken, 14 degrees in Lake City and 27 degrees at Hilton Head. The 9:42 a.m. surf water temperature at Springmaid Pier of 43.7 degrees was the coldest observed this season. Runway instruments at Darlington Jetport and Marion County AP recorded a peak barometric pressure value of 30.55 inches of mercury. Sullivan's Island reached 43 degrees for the state's highest temperature on Friday. Overnight snow showers at Walhalla left a one-half-inch coating. Surface winds on Saturday moved more southeast, bringing a welcomed thaw. After 62 hours of freezing, the 9:55 a.m. temperature at Lancaster's McWhirter Field moved to 34 degrees. Brisk southerly winds pushed the mercury to 64 degrees at Beaufort, Clarks Hill and Kingstree. A few light showers fell along the north coastal counties. Areas of rain arrived late Saturday night from Georgia and moved eastward through Sunday. Sunday's warmest temperatures were confined to the coastal plain. Beaufort reached a mild 73 degrees and Conway AP reported 68 degrees. Rainfall amounts taken at the calendar day's end were around one-half-inch for central South Carolina. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was twelve degrees below the long-term average.
WEATHER SUMMARY:
The highest official temperature reported was 76 degrees at Charleston AP on February 22. The lowest official temperature reported was -1 degree at Caesars Head and Sassafras Mt. on February 20. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.50 inches at W Pelzer ending at 7:00 a.m. on February 17. The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 1.0 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Anderson AP 1.26 5.55 -1.4
Greer AP 1.46 6.66 -0.2
Charlotte, NC AP 0.84 5.04 -0.9
Columbia Metro AP 1.62 5.05 -1.3
Orangeburg AP 0.62 4.22 -2.4
Augusta, GA Bush AP 1.32 3.98 -3.0
Florence AP 0.91 4.76 -0.7
N Myrtle Beach AP 0.60 5.15 -1.2
Charleston AP 0.31 4.82 -1.2
Savannah, GA AP 0.21 5.37 -0.5
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 50 degrees, Charleston 48 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Charleston Harbor reported a water temperature of 48 degrees and Springmaid Pier at Myrtle Beach reported a surf water temperature of 45 degrees.
