SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Leftover rains continued into Monday with several sites totalling over three inches for the event. Both Tuesday and Wednesday started with fog as warmer air drifted north over cool, wet ground. On Thursday a weak cold front raced through the area with a few rainshowers. Early morning temperatures on Friday dropped back to freezing or below across the midlands and westward. A rapid warmup took place over the weekend as gusting south to southwest winds helped push afternoon temperatures into the 70's and 80's. Florence, Columbia, Charleston and Beaufort set daily high temperature records on Sunday. Statewide temperatures for the period averaged seven degrees above normal.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

The maximum observed temperature was 80 degrees on February 7 at Florence, Columbia, Orangeburg, Blackville, Hartsville, Kingstree and Givhans Ferry. The minimum observed temperature was 22 degrees at Cedar Creek on the morning of February 5. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall was 2.45 inches at Anderson ending 7:00 a.m. on February 2. Statewide rainfall for the period averaged 1.8 inches.

                 Precipitation
                Period     1999     Deviation*        Temperature
Location        Total      Total     From Avg.     Maximum    Minimum   
Greer           1.27       5.1         0.0           71         31 
Charlotte, NC   0.97       4.8         0.2A          74         29 
Columbia        1.56       5.5         0.6A          80         29    
Florence FAA    1.29       8.3         3.9A          80         34 
Blackville      1.64       5.3         2.1A          80         29
Augusta, GA     1.94       7.4         0.8A          80         29 
Beaufort        1.86       5.3         0.8A          78         43 
Charleston AP   1.65       6.6         2.4A          79         35
Myrtle Beach    1.13       6.4         1.4A          72         38

Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7:00 a.m. Monday through ending 7:00 a.m. Sunday

ENERGY DEMAND AND AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY

                Degree Days      
                  Actual  
                February 1-7
              Cooling   Heating             
Columbia         0        81
Charleston       0        54
Greenville       0        97

RIVERS AND SURF

Rivers are above normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 55 degrees.