SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

August 15 - August 21, 2005

WEATHER SUMMARY

Warm mornings and hot days were observed Monday through Sunday. Strong thunderstorms were fueled by daily high temperatures of between 95 and 100 degrees. Lightning detection noted 200 ground strikes in just twenty minutes during a thunderstorm Wednesday in Horry County. Anderson County was pelted with 1.75 inch hail. Over the weekend Johnston recorded a 4-inch depth soil temperature of 90 degrees. The sweltering conditions peaked Sunday as temperatures in the shade exceeded the century mark. For the period, the state average temperature was six degrees above normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 103 degrees at Cades and Orangeburg on August 21. The lowest official temperature reported was 60 degrees at Caesars Head on the morning of August 18. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.21 inches at Florence AP on August 18. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.8 inches.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                           
                            Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation     
                        Total   Total   From Avg
        Greer           1.43    39.9        6.4
      Columbia           0.17    35.4        1.9  
    Orangeburg           0.13    28.3       -4.6
 Charlotte, NC           0.13    28.0       -0.3	
   Augusta, GA           2.81    37.2        6.6
      Florence           3.46    32.4        1.9           
  Myrtle Beach           0.44    18.0      -10.7
    Charleston           1.36    27.5       -6.7      
  Savannah, GA  	 0.05    30.3       -3.6








Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.  

SOIL: 4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 85 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 84 degrees.