WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2013
July 8 - July 14, 2013
Excessive rains during the July 8-14 period caused rural and urban flooding for at least twenty of South Carolina's forty-six counties. On Monday morning, Caesars Head reported overnight rains of 4.18 inches. Sandy Springs measured 4.35 inches for the next 24-hours into Tuesday morning. The town of Lexington received 3.71 inches of rain on Tuesday afternoon, turning streets into streams. For only the second time since its completion in 1962, Lake Hartwell Dam operations opened all 12 spillway gates on July 9 to lower a flood stage that had reached 664.90 feet. Tuesday evening storms over Greenwood produced "non-stop lightning" and 1.90 inches of rain. The Greenville-Spartanburg AP recorded a downpour of 2.44 inches of rain in 44 minutes. Partial sunshine allowed for Sumter's Shaw AFB and the Columbia Metro AP to reach 90 degrees on Wednesday. Afternoon thundershowers continued but with somewhat less intensity. Greenwood measured 1.11 inches of rain on Wednesday, which, when added to the previous 24-hours, totaled 3.01 inches. A southeastward moving boundary approached the state on Thursday, adding another element to support drenching rain falls. At sunrise on Friday, a CoCoRaHS rain volunteer observer in Holly Hill reported 4.79 inches. 3.14 inches fell over Quinby and at Orangeburg, the gage showed 3.05 inches. Pools of standing water were observed throughout the Lowcountry. Little change was noticed on Friday with more unwanted rain and even one-inch diameter hail falling over portions of Pickens and Greenville counties. Calhoun Falls measured a 24-hour total of 4.22 inches. N Myrtle Beach AP reported a Friday rain measurement of 1.73 inches that continued into Saturday with another 1.31 inches. A few breaks for sunshine allowed Conway and Kingstree to warm up to 88 degrees on Saturday. Unlike the previous days where there were few exclusions to the soaking rains, the coverage transitioned to an isolated nature for the afternoon and evening hours. Clarks Hill and Sullivan's Island each measured a two-inch rain from Saturday into Sunday morning. Darlington and Shaw AFB recorded the state's warmest temperature on Sunday with 90 degrees. At midnight, Anderson has completed its fourteenth consecutive day of measurable rain. The Columbia Metro AP average "high temperature" of 86.5 degrees for the observation period July 1-14, 2013, was the second "coolest" of record. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was one degree below the long-term average.
WEATHER SUMMARY:
The highest official temperature reported was 94 degrees at Hardeeville on July 8 and at Pinopolis on July 9. The lowest official temperature reported was 56 degrees at Long Creek on July 11. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 6.37 inches at Allendale ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 12. The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 3.9 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Anderson AP 5.90 42.63 18.9
Greer AP 4.04 43.84 18.6
Charlotte, NC AP 2.93 31.80 9.6
Columbia Metro AP 3.57 30.55 7.1
Orangeburg AP 5.11 34.76 9.4
Augusta, GA Bush AP 4.83 37.18 13.1
Florence AP 2.61 35.78 13.6
N Myrtle Beach AP 3.04 35.21 10.6
Charleston AP 1.09 39.77 14.9
Savannah, GA AP 4.59 34.24 9.7
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 791 degrees, Charleston 83 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were above normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 82 degrees.
