SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

March 20 - March 26, 2006

WEATHER SUMMARY

Spring 2006 began during the day on Monday, yet the weather conditions were more like mid-winter. Clouds over cold northeast winds kept high temperatures in the 50's. Rains developed late in the evening and into Tuesday morning. Heavy amounts exceeding one inch were common across the upstate and central midlands. An area of light precipitation moving eastward across the South Carolina-North Carolina border Thursday night, brought a quick one-inch of snow to Caesars Head. For the remainder of the week, high altitude, northwest winds delivered successive days of cold, below normal temperatures. On both Saturday and Sunday mornings, the mercury fell to or below freezing at many inland sites. For the period, the state average temperature was nine degrees below normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 67 degrees at Pritchardville on March 23. The lowest official temperature reported was 22 degrees at Cedar Creek and Lake Bowen on the morning of March 26. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.75 inches at Springfield ending at 7:00 a.m. on March 21. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 1.2 inches.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                           
                            Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation     
                        Total   Total   From Avg
         Greer           1.20    6.34     -6.9
      Columbia           0.88    7.00     -5.5 
    Orangeburg           2.14    8.25     -4.1  
 Charlotte, NC           0.97    5.70     -5.6             	
   Augusta, GA           2.91    9.69     -2.9  
      Florence           0.07    5.49     -5.0
  Myrtle Beach           1.45    7.36     -3.1
    Charleston           0.36    6.67     -3.9     
  Savannah, GA           0.20    7.17     -2.7








Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.  

SOIL: 4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 56 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 54 degrees.