SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Stable, high pressure made for pleasant weather on both Monday and Tuesday. Afternoon high temperatures ranged from the low 80's into the mid 70's under sunny, blue skies. Mornings were cool for this time of year with a few of the usual colder sites at or near freezing early Tuesday. Clouds returned on Wednesday followed by stormy weather on Thursday. Fast moving thunderstorm cells produced hail and brief tornado touchdown reports in Allendale, Barnwell and Beaufort counties. Rainfall was scattered in nature averaging around one quarter inch. Sunny, windy conditions were observed over the weekend along with a few sites reporting a freeze and frost on Sunday morning. Statewide temperatures for the week averaged two degrees below normal.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

The maximum observed temperature was 88 degrees on April 12 at Kingstree. The minimum observed temperature was 26 degrees at Cedar Creek on the morning of April 18. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall was 1.24 inches at Cheraw ending at 7:00 a.m. on April 16. Statewide rainfall for the period averaged 0.2 inches.

          
                 Precipitation
                Period    1999    Deviation*     Temperature
Location        Total     Total   From Avg.   Maximum   Minimum   
Greer           0.02      10.5      5.8B      72        34 
Charlotte, NC   0.33       8.7      4.9B      74        33 
Columbia        0.53       9.6      5.9B      81        37    
Florence FAA    0.61      13.2      0.6A      82        38 
Blackville      0.77      11.2      3.6B      87        36
Augusta, GA     0.46      11.6      3.4B      82        34 
Beaufort        0.00      12.8      4.6B      85        47 
Charleston AP   0.95      10.3      2.4B      84        41
Myrtle Beach    0.00      11.3      2.6B      82        44

Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7:00 a.m. Monday through ending 7:00 a.m. Sunday

ENERGY DEMAND AND AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY

               Degree Days      
                 Actual  
               April 1-18
            Cooling   Heating             
Columbia      94        39
Charleston    102       26
Greenville    48        73

RIVERS AND SURF

Rivers are below normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 65 degrees.