The period started on Monday, January 6, with the fair weather carried over from the weekend. Morning low temperatures were near normal, ranging from the mid-30s in the Upstate to the lower 40s near the coast, and under sunny skies, temperatures rose into the 60s across the state. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Beaufort MCAS reached a high of 68 degrees. Despite the break from the wet pattern, river flood warnings continued for parts of the Pee Dee, Santee and Congaree rivers through Wednesday. A cold front, with limited moisture, moved across the area on Tuesday and produced scattered showers across the state. Behind the front, breezy conditions with some strong gusts prevailed; the NWS station at the Anderson County Airport measured a gust of 40 mph around 1 p.m. The windy conditions prompted the NWS to issue multiple lake and high wind advisories for Tuesday.
By Wednesday, January 8, the fair weather returned with more seasonable temperatures. Minimum temperatures dropped into the upper 20s to mid-30s across the state, slightly below normal and the first-time freezing temperatures had been recorded since mid-December for many locations. The high pressure set up in the Mid-Atlantic and remained in control of the weather through the rest of the workweek. Thursday morning was the coldest during the period when many locations recorded temperatures in the low 20s, including portions of the Midlands and Upstate. The high pressure shifted further off the East Coast on Friday and a southerly flow funneled moisture back into the region as scattered showers developed over the state. Breezy conditions set up as a strong cold front started to approach the Southeast. Temperatures across the state were nearly 20 degrees above normal as some locations observed low temperatures in the 50s, higher than the typical winter maximum temperatures, and highs reaching the lower 70s.
The main weather story for the weekend was the severe weather event that unfolded on Saturday, January 11, and into the early morning on Sunday. Daytime temperatures climbed into the upper 60s in the Upstate and the mid to upper 70s elsewhere ahead of the cold front. Winds across the state were sustained around 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph before the boundary moved through the state. Embedded severe thunderstorms along the squall-line produced straight-line winds and tornadoes, causing damage to parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Fairfield, Greenwood, Kershaw and Newberry counties. The NWS Columbia storm survey team confirmed that an EF2, with maximum wind speeds of 130 mph, destroyed parts of North Central High School in Kershaw County. In total, six tornadoes (1 – EF2, 5 – EF0) have been confirmed in South Carolina from the event. In addition to the severe weather, heavy rain fell across the state, as the cold front stalled and became stationary over the region. The presence of the boundary created an unstable atmosphere that allowed for widespread shower activity to last into the new workweek.
(Note: The highest and lowest official temperatures and highest precipitation totals provided below are based on observations from the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer network and the National Weather Service's Forecast Offices.)| Weekly* | Since Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 0.76 | 2.92 | 1.5 |
| Greer Airport | 1.12 | 3.59 | 2.1 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.65 | 1.84 | 0.5 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.19 | 2.89 | 1.5 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.80 | 1.61 | 0.1 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.95 | 2.33 | 0.9 |
| Florence Airport | 0.67 | 1.57 | 0.3 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.07 | 0.27 | -1.1 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.23 | 0.32 | -1.1 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.61 | 0.88 | -0.4 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 57 degrees. Columbia: 60 degrees. Barnwell: 56 degrees. Mullins: Not Available.
Most of the rainfall during the period was the result of a low-pressure system that pushed through the region over the weekend, though some scattered shower activity during the week contributed to the overall total. Only coastal portions of the Pee Dee missed out on the substantial rainfall, recording less than half an inch over the seven days. Swaths of the state measured over two inches, especially along the Interstate 95 corridor, the northern portion of the Central Savannah River Area, and some locations in the Upstate. Locally heavier amounts, up to five inches, were observed within the same regions. Most of the rivers and streams across the state are reporting above normal to high streamflow levels due to the continued wet pattern. Many river gauges below the Fall Line ended the period in either action or minor flood stage, except for the Congaree River which was at moderate flood stage.
