SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

July 14 - 20, 2003

WEATHER SUMMARY

Slow clearing was observed on Monday as a weak boundary passed west to east. At the same time, early morning thunderstorms over Charleston County caused flash flooding downtown. Slightly drier air forced morning low temperatures into the 60's across the upstate and lower 70's elsewhere. The circulation around the Atlantic's Bermuda High quickly returned during mid-week with partly sunny skies and daily high temperatures in the 80's. Isolated to scattered thundershowers accompanied the late afternoon heating. On Thursday, strong thunderstorms produced hail and high winds across the upstate and midlands, and on Friday hail and high winds were reported in the Pee Dee region. Golf ball sized hail was reported in Pickens. Scattered storms, between mostly sunny weather, ended the week with high temperatures ranging from the mid-80s upstate to around 90 towards the coast. The average statewide temperature for the period was two degrees below normal.

The highest temperature reported was 96 degrees at Johnston on July 16. The lowest temperature was 60 degrees at Caesars Head on the morning of July 14. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 4.11" at Gaffney ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 14. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 2.0".

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                Precipitation                     Temperature
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation      Average  Average
                        Total   Total   From Avg      Maximum  Minimum  Average
         Greer           0.16    38.1        9.1      	88		69	79
       Columbia          1.92    38.9       11.1	89		70	80 
   Augusta, GA           2.18    39.9       13.9	88		70	79
        Cheraw           1.38    32.1        5.1    	88		71	79          
       Chester           2.22    39.6       12.7	88		67	78           
      Johnston           3.25    33.8        5.6	92		68	80           
        Sumter           0.84    34.2        6.3	87		70	78
      Clemson            0.83E   41.5       10.7	88              70      79
      Florence           2.79    33.2        8.3      	88		70	79    
 N Myrtle Beach          2.31    36.7       13.7	82		71	77         
     Allendale           1.26    33.5        6.1	90		70	80          
    Charleston           1.97    31.5        4.1	88		73	80           
      Beaufort           4.27    37.9       11.6	88		74	81           


 
  

                       

Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the 24-hour period ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL

4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 84 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF

South Carolina river stages were near to above normal.
Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 82 degrees.