SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

     Both Monday and Tuesday were dry, sunny and almost summer-like
as afternoon temperatures climbed into the lower and mid- 90's.
Scattered thunderstorms developed late in the day on Tuesday.  High
pressure provided mostly sunny and cooler days during the mid-week.
Over the holiday weekend, a frontal boundary lingered west to east
across the state.  During the early evening hours on Sunday, scattered
thunderstorms were reported, although amounts were generally less than
one half inch.   Statewide temperatures for the period averaged near
normal.

     The maximum observed temperature was 94 degrees on May 19 at Cheraw.
The minimum observed temperature was 41 degrees at York on the morning of
May 22.  The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall was recorded at Loris with
1.00" ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 21.  Statewide rainfall for the period
averaged 0.2 inches.

                Precipitation
              Period    1997     Deviation*          Temperature
Location      Total     Total    From Avg.         Maximum  Minimum   
Greer         0.23      19.4        1.9B             88       51
Charlotte, NC 0.19      16.7        1.0B             88       53
Columbia      0.24      15.8        3.7B             91       51            
Florence FAA  0.68      14.2        2.2B             92       51   
Blackville    0.05      15.5        3.8B             92       54
Augusta, GA   0.28      15.5        3.8B             90       52
Beaufort      0.25      16.1        1.1B             87       61 
Charleston    0.00      15.8        1.0B             88       61
Myrtle Beach  0.40      20.2        1.6A             91       54
*A=Above, B=Below                                                                       
                                   
Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7 am Monday
through ending 7 am Sunday

                       Degree Days      
                         Actual  
                       May 1-25
                    Cooling   Heating              
Columbia              90        29
Charleston            122       17
Greenville            63        61
                                                                                            
Temperatures are expected to average below normal for the week. Rainfall is
expected to be near to above normal.  TheSandhill Experiment Station in
north Columbia reports an average 4-inch depth soil temperature of 75 degrees.

River stages are near normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah
will average around 72 degrees.