SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

March 28 - April 3, 2005

WEATHER SUMMARY

Thunderstorms raced through the state before sunrise on Monday. A rapid warm spell followed and by Wednesday afternoon high temperatures had climbed into the middle 80's. Friday featured a passing storm system to the west and along the Appalachian Mountains. Clearing skies returned on Saturday, as did damaging winds exceeding 50 mph. The US Coast Guard measured a wind gust of 57 mph in Charleston. Power disruptions were widespread. On Sunday morning, sites within the foothills reported low temperatures in the upper 30's. For the period, the state average temperature was one degree above normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 87 degrees at Jamestown on March 30. The lowest official temperature reported was 35 degrees at Greenville on the morning of April 3. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.22 inches at Clemson AP ending at 7:00 a.m. on March 28. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 1.2 inches.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                           
                            Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation     
                        Total   Total   From Avg
         Greer           1.85    10.6       -3.8
      Columbia           1.09    11.2       -2.3       
    Orangeburg           0.75    10.9       -2.5
 Charlotte, NC           1.71    10.0       -2.3 
   Augusta, GA           0.92    13.9        0.3
      Florence           0.65     8.5       -3.0           
  Myrtle Beach           1.59     7.5       -3.8
    Charleston           1.38    10.0       -1.5         
  Savannah, GA  	 0.94    11.4        0.4




Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.  

SOIL: 4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 64 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to above normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 61 degrees.