SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

     Mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures as high as the mid 80's were
observed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Across the midlands and eastward
into the coastal plain many native plants were flowering.  A cold front swept through the state late
Wednesday.  Rainshowers accompanied the change, but ammounts were light.
Under building high pressure, colder, dry air spread into the state on Thurs-
day.  On Friday morning, frost and low temperatures in the upper 20's over
the upstate and low 30's in the midlands and Pee Dee section were recorded.
A slow warming trend began on Saturday and continued through Sunday. State-
wide temperatures for the period averaged 7 degrees above normal.

         The maximum observed temperature was 87 degrees on March 5 at James-
 town. The minimum observed temperature was 25 degrees at Cedar Creek on the
 morning of March 7.  The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall was recorded at
 Pickens with 0.57" ending at 7:00 a.m. on March 6.  Statewide rainfall for
 the period averaged 0.2".
        
                     Precipitation
                Period     1997    Deviation*            Temperature
Location        Total      Total    From Avg.         Maximum    Minimum   
Greer           0.57       11.7       1.7A               78        37
Charlotte, NC   0.49       8.1        0.8B               81        33
Columbia        0.02       9.1        0.9B               84        33                     
Florence FAA    0.00       6.9        1.1B               86        32   
Blackville      0.02       8.8        0.9B               86        38
Augusta, GA     0.00       8.5        1.2B               86        31   
Beaufort        0.00       6.5        1.7B               84        40 
Charleston      0.00       5.5        2.5B               85        38
Myrtle Beach    0.00       8.3        0.9B               72        34
*A=Above, B=Below                                                                       

                             Degree Days          
                               Actual  
                              Mar. 1-9
                    Cooling   Heating              
Columbia              25        48  
Charleston            36        31
Greenville            3         60 
                                                                                            
     Temperatures are expected to average above normal for the week.
Rainfall is expected to be near normal. The Sandhill Experiment Station in
north Columbia reports an average 4-inch depth soil temperature of 65 degrees.