SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

     Cloudy cool conditions made up the first few days of the week.  An 
area of low pressure developed along a nearly statioary boundary on 
Wednesday, January 29, over the gulf coastal waters and slowly moved 
offshore of South Carolina by Thursday afternoon.  Although low tempera- 
tures were in the 30's ,no icing was reported. There were however heavy 
rainfall toals of more than two inches across counties in the southern  
midlands.  Friday began with a foggy morning, yet by afternoon partly  
sunny skies appeared and temperatures rose into the 60's.  Saturday and  
Sunday saw dry weather and mild afternoons as the mercury slowly climbed 
into the mid 60's to near 70 degrees.  Statewide temperatures for the 
period averaged 6 degrees above normal.

        The maximum observed temperature was 77 degrees on January 24 
at Williams.  The minimum observed temperature was 13 degrees at Cedar 
Creek on the morning of  January 20.  The heaviest official 24-hour rain-
fall was recorded at Walhalla with 2.42" ending at 7:00 a.m. on January 
25.  Statewide rainfall for the period averaged 0.7".
        
               Precipitation
              Period    1997      Deviation*     Temperature
Location      Total     Total     From Avg.     Maximum Minimum   
Greer          1.91     4.6      1.2A           65       21
Charlotte, NC  0.67     2.7      0.4B           65       22
Columbia       0.68     3.6      0.1B           71       21                     
Florence FAA   0.38     2.8      0.5B           71       25   
Blackville     0.46     3.0      0.5B           75       27
Augusta, GA    0.69     3.2      0.1B           74       22   
Beaufort         NA      NA        NA           NA       NA      
Charleston     0.09     2.4      0.5B           74       29
Myrtle Beach   0.45     3.8      0.4A           72       24
*A=Above, B=Below                                                                       

                     Degree Days          
                      Actual  
                     Jan. 1-26
                 Cooling   Heating              
Columbia          0         484
Charleston        0         417
Greenville        0         586
                                                                                            
Temperatures are expected to average near normal for the week.  Rainfall 
is expected to be near to above normal.Sandhill Experiment Station in 
North Columbia reports an average 4-inch depth soil temperature of 48 
degrees.

    River stages are near normal.Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and 
Savannah will average around 49 degrees.