All of the weather occurred during the first part of the period. Light rain fell across the state on Monday, March 1, as a weak cold front pushed through the area. Low and high temperatures ranged between ten and fifteen degrees above normal, with minimum temperatures in the 50s, giving way to maximum temperatures in the mid-60s to nearly 80 degrees at the coast. Increased rain chances on Tuesday were due to a stalled storm system to the south of the region. Temperatures were cooler, with highs in the 50s, due to the cloud cover and rain. The low moved to the northeast and over the Lowcountry overnight and into Wednesday morning, and rainfall totals were highest in coastal Beaufort and Jasper counties. The heavy rain kept streamflows and river heights elevated in some areas. By mid-afternoon on Wednesday, as the clouds cleared the area, daytime temperatures rose into the lower to mid-60s.
Things began quickly drying out on Thursday, and overnight temperatures in the mid-30s rose into the 70s. No significant weather was reported for the rest of the period. Clear skies and cooler weather prevailed through the weekend, with afternoon highs only reaching the upper 50s to lower 60s. With high pressure in control of the weather pattern and dry air in place, minimum temperatures on Saturday and Sunday dropped into the low to mid-30s. Some locations in the Midlands and the Upstate recorded freezing temperatures. Both maximum and minimum temperatures were nearly ten degrees below normal for the time of year.
(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 | 0.15 | 7.47 | -1.3 |
| Greer Airport | 0.34 | 9.28 | 1.0 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.19 | 9.38 | 1.7 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.11 | 12.12 | 4.0 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.19 | 8.54M | 0.1M |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 1.37 | 12.83 | 4.0 |
| Florence Airport | 0.47 | 12.85 | 5.9 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 1.00 | 12.05 | 4.1 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 1.60 | 10.87 | 3.4 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 2.49 | 8.51 | 1.2 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: Not available. Columbia: 52 degrees. Barnwell: 43 degrees. Mullins: 38 degrees.
Most of the rainfall occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, giving way to drier conditions through the remainder of the period. Over half an inch of rain fell along and south of the Interstate 20 corridor, with drier conditions in portions of the Upstate that received rainfall during the previous period. Locations in Beaufort and Jasper counties recorded over two inches of rain, with some CoCoRaHS observers reporting close to three inches.
Portions of the Edisto, Santee, and Savannah rivers that received the rainfall continued to report above normal streamflow values and reported heights at or below minor flood stage. The Midlands, Pee Dee, and the Upstate observed rainfall totals of less than a quarter of an inch. Streamflow values continued to drop, with most of the gauges recording values near normal flows. Due to dry conditions, streamflow gauges in the Upstate and Midlands dropped to within normal ranges. Many of the river heights within the Pee Dee basin returned to normal, with the exception of the Waccamaw River. The gauge near Conway along the Waccamaw River continued to drop slowly, but remained at moderate flood stage through much of the period.
