A cold rain fell across the southern counties on Monday morning, December 12. At 10:00 a.m., Summerville and Orangeburg reported rain and 41 degrees. Edisto Beach measured an event total of 0.50 inches of rain. Tuesday's morning low temperature fell to 27 degrees at Saluda and Cedar Creek before much warmer air began to arrive from the south. The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station reached 68 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. Sandy Run and Pinopolis reported a mild 72 degrees on Wednesday. Clouds entered South Carolina's Upstate on Thursday afternoon but not before Chesterfield and Walterboro warmed up to 75 degrees. The string of unseasonally high temperatures continued on Friday for the central and eastern parts of the state with Columbia, Dillon, Hartsville and the Georgetown AP each recording 77 degrees. A weak frontal boundary moved across the Piedmont on Friday with only isolated showers. Gaston Shoals, along the Broad River in Cherokee County, measured the heaviest reported rainfall amount of just 0.26 inches. Mostly sunny, cool weather was observed over the last fall weekend of the year. Chester's high temperature reached 55 degrees on Saturday and 52 degrees on Sunday. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was seven degrees above normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 78 degrees at Conway, Pinopolis and Givhans on December 16. The lowest official temperature reported was 25 degrees at Caesars Head and Table Rock on December 18. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 0.66 inches at Hardeeville on December 13. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.1 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Total Total from Avg
Greer AP 0.15 43.21 -2.4
Anderson AP 0.00 33.06 -9.4
Columbia Metro AP 0.00 35.58 -7.6
Orangeburg AP 0.05 35.69 -9.8
Charlotte, NC AP 0.36 42.03 1.8
Augusta, GA Bush AP 0.07 28.27 -13.8
Florence AP 0.00 27.53 -14.1
N Myrtle Beach AP 0.00 32.58 -18.1
Charleston AP 0.02 36.41 -13.2
Savannah, GA AP 0.64 34.39 -12.3
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 57 degrees, Charleston 60 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 56 degrees.
