It was a cool start to the week as low temperatures on Monday, March 24, were up to ten degrees below normal in some locations. Morning temperatures dropped below freezing in higher elevations of the state, while mid-30s to low 40s were observed elsewhere. Highs reached the mid to upper 60s as clouds increased throughout the day. By Tuesday, moisture moved back into the area due to the high pressure shifting off the northeast coast and an approaching cold front. Morning temperatures were not as cool, mainly in the low 40s to mid-50s. High temperatures in parts of the Upstate struggled to get out of the 50s, while mid-60s to low 70s were reported in the Lowcountry and Midlands
A low pressure and associated cold front moved through the state late Tuesday and through Wednesday, producing overcast skies and widespread rain. Isolated thunderstorms rolled through the Midlands, and thunderstorms in Kershaw County caused dime-sized hail to fall near Camden. By Thursday morning, up to two inches of rain had fallen across the Midlands and interior Pee Dee regions.
The rain lingered across the Coastal Plain on Thursday but eventually cleared out by midday as the cold front pushed offshore. A drier airmass behind the front moved into the area and dominated the weather pattern through the end of the period. Under mostly clear skies, temperatures rose steadily from near-average temperatures in the low 70s to the low 80s by Sunday, up to ten degrees above normal. Breezy conditions were present on Friday and Saturday, with winds gusting up to 25 mph
(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 | 0.55 | 18.14 | 5.9 |
| Greer Airport | 1.22 | 19.86 | 7.8 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.73 | 13.40 | 2.8 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.61 | 12.85 | 2.4 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.98 | 11.32 | -0.4 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.53 | 10.63 | -1.0 |
| Florence Airport | 0.44 | 9.19 | -0.1 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.45 | 7.05 | -2.7 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.55 | 13.52 | 3.8 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 1.00 | 9.37 | -0.2 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 54 degrees. Columbia: 63 degrees. Barnwell: 57 degrees. Mullins: Not Available.
The storm system that moved through the region on Wednesday provided the most precipitation, with most of the state recording at least half an inch of rain. A few Midlands and Pee Dee locations recorded the highest rainfall totals, with over two inches reported in parts of Aiken, Chesterfield, Darlington, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Marlboro, and Richland counties. A few isolated spots in Chesterfield and Marlboro counties measured more than three inches of rain.
Most of the 14-day average streamflow values across the state recorded normal flows. Some gauges in portions of the Lower Savannah basin reported above-normal streamflow values due to the rainfall from the previous periods. River height gauges in portions of the Pee Dee rose due to higher rain amounts falling across portions of the basin. The river height gauge on the Pee Dee River at Pee Dee reached the minor flood stage and started to decline by the end of
