Orangeburg recorded west winds gusting to 44 mph on Monday afternoon as arctic-sourced cold overran the state. On Tuesday morning, Long Creek reported a minimum temperature of 2 degrees. Other single digit values were observed at Chester and Pelion with 6 degrees; Union and Newberry at 8 degrees; and Calhoun Falls and Greenwood at 9 degrees. The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station noted a morning low of 18 degrees. At 1:00 p.m., the Clemson-Oconee County AP and Hilton Head Island AP each reported 25 degrees. The only official location to exceed the freezing mark was the Charleston AP which reached 33 degrees at 3:56 p.m. January 7, 2014, was the coldest "statewide" day in South Carolina since December 23, 1989. Sub-freezing conditions on Wednesday sent the mercury back to 5 degrees at Walhalla. Milder air made a move into the southernmost counties on Wednesday afternoon and Hardeeville managed to record 50 degrees. On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., Columbia's Hamilton-Owens AP and the Florence Regional AP recorded a peak barometric pressure value of 30.56 inches of mercury. The afternoon high temperature at Beaufort and Charleston was a mild 64 degrees. Showers began falling late Thursday night over parts of the Lowcountry before expanding in coverage along the Savannah River basin preceding Friday's sunrise. Sandy Springs received a heavy rainfall of 1.65 inches. A warm, moist boundary separated leftover cold across the northern counties from those in the southern coastal plain. At 10:00 a.m., Rock Hill reported 40 degrees while at the same time, Charleston AP had warmed to 69 degrees. Areas of heavy rain fell on Friday. Johnston measured a 24-hour rainfall total of 2.71 inches and Newberry measured 2.70 inches. The 2.02 inches of rain measured at the Columbia Metro AP was that sites greatest January calendar-day amount since January 24, 2000. Lake City, Kingstree and Beaufort warmed to 73 degrees for a Friday high temperature. The unsettled weather continued on Saturday with scattered thunderstorms embedded in the passing rains. At 5:15 p.m., instruments at Fort Sumter measured winds gusting to 55 mph. Clinton received 1.86 inches, Saluda 1.84 inches and Summerville 1.45 inches. Conway's thermometer indicated a Saturday maximum temperature of 75 degrees. Cooler, more seasonal weather was observed on Sunday. At 3:00 p.m., sunny skies were observed at all reporting airports. Maximum temperatures ranged from 57 degrees at Anderson to 65 degrees at Sullivan's Island. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was three degrees below the long-term average.
The highest official temperature reported was 77 degrees at Pinopolis on January 10. The lowest official temperature reported was -5 degrees at Caesars Head on January 7. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.87 inches at Catawba ending at 7:00 a.m. on January 11. The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 1.4 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Anderson AP 2.45 2.88 0.6
Greer AP 2.59 2.84 1.4
Charlotte, NC AP 2.14 2.64 1.3
Columbia Metro AP 2.77 3.01 1.7
Orangeburg AP 0.91 1.44 -0.1
Augusta, GA Bush AP 1.64 2.09 0.6
Florence AP 1.24 1.79 0.5
N Myrtle Beach AP 0.44 1.20 -0.2
Charleston AP 0.53 1.48 0.1
Savannah, GA AP 0.31 1.47 0.2
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 53 degrees, Charleston 58 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near to above normal. The ocean water temperature at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach was reported at 49 degrees.
