SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

July 15 - 21, 2002

WEATHER SUMMARY

Blistering, mid-summer heat was in full swing throughout the week. Several late afternoon convective storms were reported but were few and far between. A small and brief tornado was confirmed in Charleston County on Tuesday producing light damage. One hundred degree heat was noted Tuesday into the weekend. Saturday felt more like the desert as temperatures climbed into the lower 100's behind gusting westerly winds of over thirty miles per hour. Open pan evaporation on Saturday exceeded one half inch. A weak boundary dropped south across the state Saturday into Sunday causing isolated, heavy thunderstorms, high winds and reports of hail. For the period, the state average temperature was four degrees above normal.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

The highest temperature reported was 105 degrees at USC in Columbia on July 18, Cades on July 19 and Conway on July 20. The lowest temperature was 62 degrees at Caesars Head on the morning of July 16. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.50" at Charleston AP on July 15. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.4"

                     Precipitation
               Period     2002    Deviation*          Temperature
Location        Total    Total     From Avg.       Maximum   Minimum	
Greer            0.00    19.48         9.7B            94       70                       	              	
Columbia         0.00    20.87         7.1B           102       73
Florence         0.00    16.63         8.3B           100       69	        
Charleston       2.50    23.25         4.4B           100       73
N Myrtle Beach   0.08    14.12         9.0B            93       73
Augusta, Ga.     0.00    19.21         7.0B           100       69 
A=Above, B=Below                                                                       
                                   

Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the 24-hour period ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL

4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 88 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF

South Carolina river stages are well below normal.
Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 84 degrees.