SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

     High pressure with cool mornings and afternoons dominated the first couple of days of the week.  Scattered showers and
thunderstorms returned during mid-week as winds shifted more from a southerly direction.  An approaching cold front on Friday
reacted with the warm moist air resulting in widespread thunderstorms that evening and again on Saturday.  Several storms reached
severe limits on Saturday night with reports of hail, high winds and drenching rains.  Sunday, June 15 ended the week under partly
sunny skies and afternoon temperatures in the low 80's.  Statewide temperatures for the period averaged 3 degrees below normal.

     The maximum observed temperature was 93 degrees on June 13 at the State Climatology Office in downtown Columbia.  The
minimum observed temperature was 47 degrees at Mullins on the morning of June 10.  The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall was
recorded at Clinton with 2.42" ending at 7:00 a.m. on June 15.  Statewide rainfall for the period averaged 1.3 inches.

             	   Precipitation
         	  Period     1997         Deviation*        Temperature
Location 	  Total      Total         From Avg.	  Maximum    Minimum
   
Greer	          3.23       24.6 	   0.1A           88         56

Charlotte, NC     3.60       21.9          1.7B           87         58

Columbia          1.83       19.0          3.6B           91         55
 
Florence FAA      1.44       17.9          1.4B           90         53
   
Blackville        0.70       18.6          4.2B           92         55

Augusta, GA       1.76       17.8          4.3B           93         52

Beaufort          0.51       19.1          1.8B           89         58
 
Charleston        0.79       22.7          2.0A           88         56

Myrtle Beach      0.40       22.9          1.1A           88         55

*A=Above, B=Below                                                                       
                                   
Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7 am Monday through ending 7 am Sunday

                       Degree Days     
                         Actual 
                        June 1-15

                    Cooling   Heating 
             
Columbia             92          10

Charleston           86           9

Greenville           58          24

     Temperatures are expected to average near normal for the week.  Rainfall is expected to be near normal.
     The Sandhill Experiment Station in north Columbia reports an average 4-inch depth soil temperature of 75 degrees.

    River stages are near normal.
    Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 75 degrees.
                                 
Summer 1997 will officially begin Saturday, June 21 at 4:20 a.m. DST.