SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

July 31 - August 6, 2006

WEATHER SUMMARY

Sweltering heat was observed Monday through Saturday. Maximum temperatures of 100 degrees were common from the foothills to just inland along the coast. Short lived and very isolated storms were reported Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Daily open pan evaporation peaked on Thursday at 0.53 inches. A weak boundary eased into South Carolina from the north late Friday. Strong thunderstorms on Saturday included frequent cloud to ground lightning and high winds. Flash flooding in Camden was the result of localized, intense rainfall. Easterly winds combined with increased cloudiness across the north coast and into the midlands on Sunday, reducing the heat to seasonal, low 90 degree temperatures. All day sunshine for southern counties bordering the Atlantic made for another hot, upper 90 degree, summer day. For the period, the state average temperature was five degrees above normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 104 degrees at Jamestown on August 3. The lowest official temperature reported was 66 degrees at Walhalla on the morning of July 31. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.82 inches at Gaffney ending at 7:00 AM on August 4. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.4 inches.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                           
                                                      
                            Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation     
                        Total   Total   From Avg
         Greer           0.00   18.86    -12.6
      Columbia           0.89   21.60     -9.3 
    Orangeburg           0.15   22.76     -8.1 
 Charlotte, NC           0.51   20.88     -5.6             	
   Augusta, GA           0.30   21.93     -6.4  
      Florence           0.34   27.53     -0.3
  Myrtle Beach           0.43   25.20     -0.8
    Charleston           0.14   27.12     -3.8     
  Savannah, GA           0.44   19.46    -10.9






Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.  

SOIL: 4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 86 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures near Myrtle Beach and Fripp Inlet will average from 83 to 85 degrees.