The period started with a cool Monday morning, with temperatures at some stations across the state dropping into the mid- to upper 30s. The National Weather Service (NWS) station in Barnwell reported a low of 33 degrees, which tied the daily record set back in 1987. With high pressure in control across the region, temperatures rose into the upper 70s to low 80s, about ten degrees above normal. The NWS station in Orangeburg had a 39-degree diurnal temperature range, with a minimum of 41 degrees and a maximum of 80 degrees. The Chamber of Commerce weather continued through mid-week, with low humidity through Wednesday. While the dry air mass led to mostly sunny skies, it also provided conditions for increased fire danger.
By Thursday, April 8, high pressure shifted offshore, and moisture started to increase across the region. Stations around the state reported patchy fog and hazy conditions in the morning and high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Additional moisture moved into the region on Friday, increasing the chance of rainfall across much of the state for the mid- to late afternoon. There was a slight risk of severe weather, and a thunderstorm near Pageland in Chesterfield County produced pea- to dime-sized hail.
As a cold front approached the state, showers and thunderstorms developed, with a few thunderstorms reaching severe limits. Straight-line winds, estimated at 93 mph, knocked down trees in Greenville and Spartanburg counties, while two tornadoes were confirmed in the Upstate. An EF-1 tornado touched down in Seneca, partially toppling a radio tower, and a business security camera caught the moment when the tornado flipped over a car on a nearby road. The other tornado, an EF-0, uprooted trees and caused roof damage to homes in the Reidville and Moore areas. As the weekend ended, the cold front provided drier conditions and near normal temperatures across the state, heading into the new work week.
(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 | 0.37 | 10.79 | -2.5 |
| Greer Airport | 0.51 | 15.03 | 1.5 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.41 | 14.02 | 2.1 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.12 | 15.26 | 3.3 |
| Orangeburg Airport | Trace | 9.62M | -3.1M |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.08 | 16.24 | 3.1 |
| Florence Airport | 0.07 | 14.88 | 4.4 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 1.23 | 15.08 | 2.9 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | Trace | 12.08 | 0.6 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.08 | 11.71 | 0.3 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 65 degrees. Columbia: 65 degrees. Barnwell: 58 degrees. Mullins: 63 degrees.
Many locations south and east of the Interstate 20 corridor recorded less than a tenth of an inch of rain over the period. The only exception was Horry County, where some parts received between half an inch and an inch of rain. Across the Midlands, rainfall totals were varied, though most of the rain that fell amounted to less than half an inch. The highest rainfall totals over the period occurred in the Upstate, with localized amounts near three inches in the mountainous portions of Oconee County. CoCoRaHS observers near the town of Salem recorded the highest values, with the majority of the rain falling on Saturday.
With additional rainfall in the Upstate, streamflow values were much above normal in the Saluda River's headwaters. Some streamflow gauges around the state reported slightly above normal levels; however, the drier conditions did allow most streamflow values to return to normal. River stage heights in the lower portions of the Pee Dee, Santee, and Savannah rivers continued to drop from minor flood stage into the action stage.
