Hot, hazy conditions were observed early in the week. Chesterfield reached 99 degrees on Monday. Evening thunderstorms produced 1.50-inch rains at Lake Wylie and 1.31-inch rains at the Rock Hill Airport. Johnston, Bamberg and Pinopolis all peaked at 99 degrees on Tuesday. The 2.34 inches of rain that fell during a thunderstorm at Florence, on July 5, was the heaviest rain at that site since September 29, 2010. On Wednesday morning at 11:00 a.m., the Charleston AP reported reduced visibilities of 5 miles, due to smoke. On the same day at 2:47 p.m., FAA wind shear instruments at the Columbia Metro Airport recorded a 58 mph wind gust. Temperatures at the airport fell from 94 degrees at 2:00 p.m. to 76 degrees at 3:00 p.m. Afternoon storm activity was concentrated from the Midlands to the beaches with cloud tops soaring to 55 thousand feet. Kingstree measured 1.53 inches and Sandhill noted 1.35 inches. A pattern shift to a more tropical airmass developed on Thursday as deep layer southerly winds arrived. Heat and high humidity overspread the state. Thunderstorms over McCormick left 2.38 inches of rain on Friday. Flooding rains affected much of the central coast on Saturday. Streets were flooded in Georgetown and in parts of Dorchester and Charleston County. The N Inlet gage near Winyah Bay registered 3.06 inches. A National Weather Service trained spotter near Middleton Place measured 6.40 inches of rain. The East Cooper Airport received 2.79 inches of rain in one hour and the Charleston Airport measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 59 mph at 1:20 p.m. The week ended with spotty afternoon thundershowers and sweltering temperatures in the low to middle 90's. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was two degrees above normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 100 degrees at Lake Wateree on July 5. The lowest official temperature reported was 64 degrees at Chesnee and long Creek on July 5. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.75 inches at Bishopville ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 10. The state average rainfall for the period was 1.3 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Total Total from Avg
Greer 1.23 24.15 -3.3
Anderson 0.93 19.25 -6.3
Columbia 3.47 22.01 -4.0
Orangeburg 1.20 19.41 -6.6
Charlotte, NC 1.35 21.82 -1.4
Augusta, GA 0.04 18.32 -6.4
Florence 3.16 17.32 -5.8
N Myrtle Beach 0.45 16.58 -4.7
Charleston 3.13 17.69 -7.8
Savannah, GA 0.52 19.91 -4.9
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 83 degrees, Charleston 86 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 83 degrees.
