The week started with mostly sunny skies and warm weather with a high pressure anchored just offshore of the region, providing high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s, nearly ten degrees above normal in portions of the Upstate. Temperatures were warmer than average again on Tuesday, and the National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Beaufort MCAS recorded a high of 90 degrees. As a cold front pushed through the state on Tuesday afternoon, thunderstorms produced wind gusts up to 60 mph in Aiken County, and pea-sized hail was reported in Aiken, Lexington, and Chesterfield counties.
Cooler and drier air moved into the region behind the front on Wednesday, and clouds decreased throughout the day. Daytime temperatures topped out in the 70s across the state. With the clear skies and dry air, overnight temperatures dropped into the 40s and 50s on Thursday and Friday mornings, nearly ten degrees cooler than average in some portions of the state. High temperatures were pleasant on both days, reaching the mid-70s to lower 80s. The dry high pressure shifted off the East Coast as a weak front moved through the region from the northwest on Friday.
A period of summer-like weather for the area started on Saturday, April 30, with warm and humid conditions moving into the Southeast. While low temperatures Saturday morning were in the 50s, daytime temperatures reached the low to mid-80s. By Sunday, moisture had returned to the region, and temperatures at the NWS stations in Columbia and Florence reached 86 degrees. Thunderstorms, triggered by a weak frontal boundary, caused up to two-inch diameter hail near Saluda and up to 1.75 inches in diameter in Lexington County near Red Bank and South Congaree.
(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 | 0.01 | 15.72 | -0.3 |
| Greer Airport | 0.11 | 18.72 | 2.1 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | Trace | 16.19 | 1.7 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.21 | 13.80 | 0.4 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.23s | 17.10s | 2.1s |
| Augusta, GA Airport | Trace | 13.85 | -0.8 |
| Florence Airport | 0.39 | 13.35 | 1.0 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.30 | 12.03 | -0.6 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.02 | 8.41 | -4.7 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.38 | 7.27 | -5.8 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 69 degrees. Columbia: 69 degrees. Barnwell: 62 degrees. Mullins: 67 degrees.
Limited rainfall fell during the period, and most of the state recorded less than a quarter of an inch of rain, while less than a tenth of an inch was measured north of the Fall Line. The highest widespread rainfall amounts fell in the Midlands, with totals closer to an inch. There were a few higher amounts measured under localized thunderstorms. Over the past few weeks, rainfall has helped alleviate abnormally dry conditions (D0) in interior portions of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee. However, the United State Drought Monitor continued to show D0 and moderate drought (D1) persisting in the state's eastern half. The South Carolina Drought Response Committee met on Thursday, April 27, and added Darlington, Dillon, and Marlboro counties to incipient conditions, while Berkeley County was moved to normal conditions.
The 14-day streamflow averages at some Santee and Savannah River basins streamflow gauges reported much above-average flows, while normal flows were recorded elsewhere across the state. The Little Pee Dee River gauge at Galivants Ferry continues to be the only gauge in the state to measure average flows still below the long-term average flows. All of the state’s rivers observed heights below the flood stage.
