WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2008

May 19, 2008 - May 25, 2008

WEATHER SUMMARY:

Sites across central and eastern locations reported 90-degree high temperatures on both Monday and Tuesday afternoons. Southwest winds during the day on Tuesday gusted to 36 mph at Shaw AFB in Sumter ahead of a southward moving boundary of cooler air and damaging high winds in thunderstorms. Smoaks, in Walterboro County, reported 3-inch diameter hail and golf ball-sized hail fell on Aiken, Kershaw, Berkeley and Charleston counties. At 7:53 p.m. a funnel cloud was seen in Walterboro County. Mostly sunny, dry weather was observed into Thursday. Sandhill measured at 24-hour open pan evaporation loss of 0.45 inches between Wednesday and Thursday morning. Several disturbances within the northwest flow aloft produced isolated showers and thundershowers into the weekend. Most locations remained dry and were able to enjoy the unseasonably cool mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. The state average temperature for the period was three degrees below normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 95 degrees at Jamestown on May 20. The lowest official temperature reported was 44 degrees at Lake Bowen and Hunts Bridge on the morning of May 22. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.01 inches at Witherbee ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 21. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.4 inches.

PRECIPITATION:

                            
                                                                                                                         
                            Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1   Departure     
                        Total   Total   from Avg
         Greer           0.58   16.28     -4.9 
      Columbia           0.14   14.97     -3.5
    Orangeburg           0.25   14.88     -3.6
 Charlotte, NC           0.18   13.99     -3.8          	
   Augusta, GA           0.91   16.88     -1.7
      Florence           0.65   16.12     -0.4
N Myrtle Beach           0.93   15.97      0.6
    Charleston           0.46   13.45     -3.2  
  Savannah, GA           0.09   12.71     -3.9









Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.  

SOIL:

4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 75 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF:

South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 78 degrees.

For additional information contact tylerw@dnr.sc.gov or by calling (803) 734-9100.