SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

      Sunny, warm weather began the week as afternoon temperatures climbed
into the 80's.  Thunderstorms were reported late Monday afternoon across
the upstate with isolated hail episodes.  On Tuesday afternoon, severe
weather associated with a highly unstable air mass produced widespread
thunderstorms which included hail up to golf ball size in Fairfield, Laurens,
Aiken and Horry counties. Many other counties also reported hail ranging
in size from one quarter to one and a half inches.  Several growers reported
scattered damage.  High winds exceeding 58 mph caused isolated structural
damage, felled trees and disrupted utilities.  Rainfall amounts from
Tuesday's storms were heaviest over the western counties. A nearly
stationary boundary positioned across the state during mid-week provided
cloudiness and light showers.  As low pressure approached over the weekend
along the western end of the front, more rainshowers, some heavy, occurred
on both Saturday and Sunday.  Statewide temperatures for the period averaged
4 degrees below normal across the western half of the state to 2 degrees
below normal along the coastal plain.

     The maximum observed temperature was 88 degrees on April 22 at Williams.
The minimum observed temperature was 33 degrees at Salem on the morning of
April 24.  The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall was recorded at Chester
with 2.13" ending at 7:00 a.m. on April 23.  Statewide rainfall for the
period averaged 1.3".

                   Precipitation
                 Period     1997  Deviation*        Temperature
Location         Total     Total  From Avg.      Maximum   Minimum   
Greer            2.37       16.8    0.6B           79       36
Charlotte, NC    1.95       14.0    0.3B           83       44
Columbia         2.48       13.5    2.8B           74       37            
Florence FAA     1.40       11.6    1.8B           83       44   
Blackville       0.96       12.5    3.3B           86       45
Augusta, GA      0.70       13.3    2.6B           82       39
Beaufort         1.09       11.3    2.4B           85       51 
Charleston       0.80       10.0    3.6B           86       49
Myrtle Beach     0.90       14.8    0.0B           84       46
*A=Above, B=Below                                                                       
                                   
Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7 am Monday
through ending 7 am Sunday

    River stages are rising due to heavy rains. Surf temperatures at Myrtle
Beach and Savannah will average around 65 degrees.