SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

May 21 - 27, 2001

WEATHER SUMMARY

The week started on a wet note with scattered rains, some heavy, reported early Monday morning. For most of the work week conditions were seasonal with high temperatures in the 80's and lower 90's, under sunny, blue skies. A large low pressure feature over the Great Lakes sent several waves of showers and thunderstorms across the state over the weekend. Although scattered in nature, the rains continued to help in relieving the problems associated with drought. Statewide temperatures for the period averaged two degrees below normal.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

The highest temperature was 97 degrees at Jamestown on May 22. The lowest temperature was 39 degrees at Salem on the morning of May 23. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall was 2.08"at Caesars Head ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 22. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.7".

                      Precipitation
               Period    2001   Deviation*          Temperature
Location        Total   Total    From Avg.        Maximum   Minimum	
Greer            1.18   14.68        6.7B            82        47                            	              		
Columbia         0.26   12.89        7.0B            89        52
Florence         0.42    8.68        8.1B            92        52	        
Charleston       0.53   11.62        5.6B            93        54   
N Myrtle Beach   0.23   12.51        3.8B            82        54
Augusta, Ga.     0.43   14.39        5.0B            89        49
*A=Above, B=Below                                                                       

                                 
  

Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7 am Monday through ending 7 am Sunday.

SOIL

4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 81 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF

South Carolina river stages were near to below normal.
Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 76 degrees.