The period started on Monday, March 30, with low and high temperatures ten degrees above normal, with minimum temperatures ranging from the upper 50s to low 60s, and maximum temperatures recording in the upper 70s to mid-80s across the state. The calm conditions gave way to unsettled weather on Tuesday, as a low-pressure system crossed the region, bringing widespread rain and isolated thunderstorms in portions of the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) and Lowcountry. Some of the storms produced strong winds, causing downed trees in Allendale, Colleton and Jasper counties.
The twenty-four-hour rainfall totals ending on Wednesday morning in the Charleston area were close to an inch, while other locations reported less than half an inch. The probability of widespread hazardous weather was low through the remainder of the period. After a warm start to the week, the temperatures moderated, with lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s on Wednesday and Thursday.
With high pressure in control of the weather pattern through the weekend, the dry conditions continued, and daytime temperatures steadily increased into the mid to upper 70s, under clear skies and abundant sunshine. On Sunday, the start of the first King Tide period for 2020, the Charleston Harbor tidal gauge recorded a maximum tide of 7.17 feet mean lower low water (MLLW).
(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 | 0.14 | 21.22 | 8.6 |
| Greer Airport | 0.11 | 21.24 | 8.3 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.04 | 14.23 | 3.0 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.23 | 15.49 | 4.1 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.45 | 12.70 | 0.6 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.24 | 17.06 | 4.5 |
| Florence Airport | 0.26 | 14.07 | 4.1 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.55 | 12.52 | 0.9 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.58 | 10.33 | -0.6 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.16 | 11.96 | 1.2 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 62 degrees. Columbia: 65 degrees. Barnwell: 58 degrees. Mullins: 57 degrees.
Despite widespread rainfall during the beginning of the period, total values across the state were less than an inch. The break in the rain allowed fields to dry out, so agricultural planting could take place in areas that have received above-normal precipitation since December.
The continued limited rainfall over the headwaters of the state’s watersheds in North Carolina resulted in a slow decline in the river and streamflow values at gauges in portions of the Pee Dee and Santee river basins. However, the streamflow levels were still normal due to the multiple weeks of rain that fell during the previous periods. Most of the river gauges across the state continued to drop back out of flood stage, with gauges along portions of the Santee and Savannah rivers near the coast at major and minor flood stage.
