On Monday, February 7, a low-pressure system tracked along the Southeast coast, bringing scattered precipitation across the state. A trace of snow was reported that morning by a CoCoRaHS station north of Travelers Rest as sleet and light freezing rain were reported in the Upstate, mainly along the Interstate 85 corridor, making for a messy morning commute. High temperatures only reached the mid to upper 40s, nearly fifteen degrees below normal. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Charleston International Airport recorded a maximum temperature of 46 degrees. Cloud cover and showers lingered in the Pee Dee through midafternoon on Tuesday, keeping temperatures cool. Stations in the region reported rainfall totals up to an inch. High pressure moved in behind the system, helping to clear out the remaining clouds and ushering in drier conditions.
Areas of fog developed on Wednesday morning, with dense fog causing visibilities to drop to less than a quarter of a mile in some locations. There were some pockets of freezing fog before daybreak as minimum temperatures dropped below freezing. Temperatures warmed throughout the day to near normal, with highs in the 60s. Despite low temperatures near normal, the weather continued to be dry and warm through the rest of the workweek. High temperatures reached the upper 60s to low 70s on Thursday and Friday, up to ten degrees above normal, with breezy conditions.
Before the high pressure broke down by late Saturday, maximum temperatures in the Upstate reached the low 70s. The NWS station at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport observed a high of 71 degrees on Saturday, fifteen degrees above normal for February. Cloud cover increased during the day as the cold front approached the region. Minimal rain fell due to the frontal passage, and temperatures on Sunday were slightly cooler than normal, with overnight lows in the upper 20s to upper 30s warming up into the 50s.
(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 | 0.07 | 4.21 | -1.6 |
| Greer Airport | 0.15 | 6.16 | 0.4 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.46 | 5.29 | 0.5 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.56 | 5.23 | 0.3 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.41s | 6.80s | 1.2s |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.25 | 4.62 | -0.8 |
| Florence Airport | 1.49 | 5.64 | 1.2 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.17 | 4.92 | 0.5 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.14 | 2.73 | -2.1 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.16 | 3.43 | -1.1 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 48 degrees. Columbia: 50 degrees. Barnwell: 45 degrees. Mullins: 58 degrees.
Most of the rain reported during the period occurred during the first part of the week, with lingering showers on Sunday evening. Locations in the Upstate recorded values less than a quarter of an inch, with one CoCoRaHS observer north of Travelers Rest reporting a trace of snow. Rain was also sparse in the Lowcountry, with some areas recording less than a tenth of an inch. Rainfall totals over half an inch were reported on Monday morning in the Midlands, with totals up to an inch in areas along the Interstate 20 corridor. On Tuesday morning, a few locations in the Pee Dee reported up to 1.50 inches of rain. After Tuesday morning, conditions were dry and warm, and the United States Drought Monitor showed worsening conditions in some areas with moderate drought (D1) and dry conditions.
Most of the streamflow gauges north of the Fall Line reported streamflow values at or slightly above normal for this time of year. However, streamflow values across the lower Santee and Pee Dee watersheds returned to measuring below average streamflows with the relatively dry period. Statewide, all rivers observed heights below the flood stage.
