The period started with temperatures more like spring across portions of the state, as both maximum and minimum temperatures were close to fifteen degrees above normal on Monday, January 25. As a warm front lifted across the region, the National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Beaufort MCAS recorded a high of 78 degrees, and other stations along the coast recorded temperatures in the mid-70s. In the Upstate, high temperatures only reached the upper 40s on Monday, but once the warm front moved into North Carolina, the temperatures rebounded into the upper 50s and lower 60s by Tuesday afternoon. Moisture returned into the region ahead of a cold front approaching from the west, which helped trigger some early morning thunderstorms in the Midlands. The line of strong thunderstorms pushed toward the coast throughout the day, and hail was reported on James Island by mid-afternoon. The cold front moved through the state, ushering in some cooler weather, with highs only reaching the upper 50s to lower 60s. Widespread rainfall totals across the state through Wednesday evening ranged from half an inch to an inch and a half.
On the morning of Thursday, January 28, the cold front cleared the coast, and more cold, dry air rushed back into the Southeast and would remain for the rest of the period. Throughout the day, breezy conditions prompted the Columbia NWS Office to issue Lake Wind Advisories for much of the Midlands. With high pressure in control of the weather pattern through Saturday evening, skies remained clear overnight, with sunny but cool temperatures during the day. Lows on Friday morning dropped into the 20s across the entire state, except for coastal locations, and high temperatures struggled to reach 50 degrees. By Saturday afternoon, the high-pressure started to retreat ahead of the next weather system, and clouds increased through the day, with rain beginning in the late evening and lasting through Sunday. Some locations recorded an additional half an inch to an inch of rain by the start of the new work week.
(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 | 1.39 | 3.85 | 0.0 |
| Greer Airport | 2.31 | 4.45 | 0.6 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 2.36 | 4.03 | 0.6 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.03 | 5.32 | 1.7 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 1.89 | 4.69 | 0.7 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 1.76 | 4.87 | 1.0 |
| Florence Airport | 0.95 | 5.14 | 1.9 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 2.53 | 4.95 | 1.3 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 2.56 | 4.44 | 0.7 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.66 | 2.08 | -1.6 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 43 degrees. Columbia: 50 degrees. Barnwell: 44 degrees. Mullins: 38 degrees.
After two weeks of minimal rainfall, most of the state received at least half an inch of rain during the period. Portions of coastal Beaufort and Jasper counties in the Lowcountry and isolated parts of Florence and Lee counties received the least amount of rainfall. Areas along the Interstate 95 corridor recorded more than two inches of rain, with up to four inches in Hampton County. Some stations measured up to two inches in the Upstate and around the Charlotte Metro area, and over an inch in the Midlands.
The dry conditions in the previous periods allowed most streamflow values across the state to return to normal flows, even in regions that recorded the highest amounts with the latest round of precipitation. While streamflow values were near normal, a few river height gauges in the Pee Dee region recorded heights in either action or minor flood stage. These rivers are forecasted to remain high through the beginning of the new period.
