On Monday, January 29, a dry and cooler air mass spread across the region, leading to seasonable weather through Tuesday. Morning temperatures were in the mid- to upper 30s, and daytime highs reached the upper 50s to low 60s. The high pressure started to shift offshore, and cloudy conditions increased overnight on Tuesday as an upper low pressure moved over the region on Wednesday. The low triggered a few showers, with precipitation values less than a quarter of an inch recorded across the state.
Behind the low pressure, dry and slightly warmer weather moved into the area, which lasted into the weekend. Radiational cooling conditions developed early Thursday, and low temperatures dropped into the mid-20s in the Upstate to near freezing at the coast. Widespread fog was reported near rivers in the Midlands, reducing visibilities for the morning commute. High temperatures were warmer than average, with highs in the low to mid-60s. The infamous Puxatuney Phil did not see his shadow on Friday, February 2, declaring an early spring this year.
A back door cold front shifted south through the state and stalled across central Georgia on Saturday, and high pressure provided plenty of sunshine today. Sunny skies helped temperatures rise from the mid-30s to the mid-50s and low 60s. A surface low-pressure system tracked along the Gulf Coast throughout Sunday, bringing increased rain chances to the southern tier of the state.
(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 | 0.02 | 8.73 | 4.1 |
| Greer Airport | 0.03 | 10.30 | 5.7 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.01 | 7.28 | 3.37 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.07 | 2.65 | -1.3 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.18 | 3.30 | -1.2 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.55 | 3.25 | -1.1 |
| Florence Airport | 0.10 | 2.74 | -0.8 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.05 | 1.10 | -2.4 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.09 | 2.00 | -1.8 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 1.56 | 4.64 | 0.9 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 45 degrees. Columbia: 53 degrees. Barnwell: 46 degrees. Mullins: 50 degrees.
Most of the rainfall during the period fell along the Coastal Plain, with half an inch to an inch of rain reported in the Lower Savannah River Basin. Totals of less than a tenth of an inch were measured across the rest of the state. All areas of abnormally dry conditions (D0) in Abbeville, Anderson, and McCormick counties were removed on the February 1 release of the US Drought Monitor (USDM) map.
Despite the lack of precipitation across the Piedmont and Upstate, the 14-day average streamflow values within the Broad, Catawba, and Saluda river basins continued to record above-normal flows. Gauges across the rest of the state reported normal streamflow values as the water moved through the river basins. Some river height gauges across the Midlands and Pee Dee were in the minor and moderate flood stages at the beginning of the period but fell by the end by the end of the period.
