SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

April 26 - May 2, 2004

WEATHER SUMMARY

Warm moist air on Monday allowed scattered showers to form during the afternoon hours across eastern counties. A cold front entered the state on Tuesday with a sharp drop in temperatures and winds gusting around 30 mph. On Wednesday morning, a few of the ususal cold spots reported temperatures at or near freezing. A warming trend followed into the weekend. Welcome rains, in the form of scattered showers, began Saturday. On Sunday strong thunderstorms passed west to east throughout the day with very heavy rains along South Carolina's coastal counties. Damaging high winds and isolated hail were reported over many cental and eastern counties. For the period, the state average temperature was five degrees above normal.

The highest temperature reported was 85 degrees at Columbia AP on May 2. The lowest temperature was 32 degrees at Longcreek on the morning of April 28. The heaviest 24 hour rainfall reported was 2.00" at Edisto ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 2. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 1.2.”

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

          	      Precipitation                     Temperature
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation      Average  Average
                        Total   Total   From Avg      Maximum  Minimum  Average
         Greer           1.97    10.7       -7.0           73       54       64 
      Columbia           1.13     8.3       -8.0           79       58       69 
   Augusta, GA           1.32    10.9       -5.5           80       56       68 
        Cheraw*          0.67     6.9       -9.0           81       51       66 
       Chester*          0.68     9.2       -7.6           77       48       63 
      Johnston*          0.89     6.3      -11.5           79       49       64 
        Sumter*          1.12     9.0       -6.8           78       53       66
       Clemson*          0.87     7.9      -12.5           74       53       64 
      Florence           1.93     9.0       -5.1           78       58       68 
  Myrtle Beach           3.04    12.3       -0.9           73       55       64 
     Allendale*          1.17    10.8       -4.8           80       49       64 
    Charleston           4.82    13.1       -1.0           77       60       68 
      Beaufort*          1.69     8.7       -5.4           78       62       70 

* Rainfall totals ending Sunday 7:00 a.m.  All others ending midnight.

SOIL

4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 73 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF

South Carolina river stages were below normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach
and Savannah will average around 71 degrees.