SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

August 25 - 31, 2003

WEATHER SUMMARY

While the unofficial last week of Summer came to an end, the season's hottest weather settled in over South Carolina. High pressure centered over the Southeast dominated the daily weather with sunny skies and drying heat. High temperatures during the period were generally in the mid to upper 90's. Heat advisories were issued for the first time this Summer and heat index values climbed passed the 100 degree mark. Morning low temperatures offered little relief, only cooling into the mid-70's. Isolated to scattered showers were mostly confined to coastal sites. A lone thunderstorm on Friday produced wind damage in Laurens County. The Labor Day holiday weekend saw a slight pattern change as winds shifted more southerly helping lower temperatures a few degrees. The average statewide temperature for the period was four degrees above normal.

The highest temperature reported was 97 degrees at more than a dozen sites on multiple days. The lowest temperature was 67 degrees at Chester on the morning of August 25. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.63" at Pickens on August 31. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.2.".

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                Precipitation                     Temperature
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation      Average  Average
                        Total   Total   From Avg      Maximum  Minimum  Average
         Greer           0.40    53.1       18.3           89       71       80 
      Columbia           0.01    44.8        9.2           94       74       84 
   Augusta, GA           0.00    45.5       13.5           92       72       82 
        Cheraw           0.00    36.1        2.2           94       74       84 
       Chester           0.17    44.0       10.9           92       68       80 
      Johnston           0.40    40.2        5.3           95       70       82 
        Sumter           0.00    37.2        2.2           92       73       83 
       Clemson           0.32    49.0       11.9           91       70       80
      Florence           0.03    35.3        4.0           92       72       82
N Myrtle Beach           0.00    40.9       10.3           88       74       81 
     Allendale           0.00    39.5        5.1           92       70       81 
    Charleston           0.00    39.3        3.5           91       74       83 
      Beaufort           0.54    44.8        9.0           92       76       84 


             

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 normal. Surf temperatures at
Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 81 degrees.