On Monday, July 17, a ridge that was built into the west provided some drier-than-normal conditions but allowed for a slight chance of showers through the middle of the week. Maximum temperatures were slightly warmer than average, with highs reaching the mid- to upper 90s and heat indices over 100 degrees for the better part of the period. The morning low at the National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Charleston International Airport was 78 degrees, tying the record-high minimum temperature for the day set in 2019. Northwest flow across the region brought smoke from the Canadian wildfires, bringing hazy conditions across most of the state, reducing visibilities, and prompting SCDHEC to issue Air Quality Alerts due to poor air quality on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Limited moisture across the Southeast combined with high temperatures in the upper 90s to produce the highest heat indices during the period, with many stations observing heat index values over 105 degrees, including 108 degrees in Charleston and 110 degrees at the Myrtle Beach International Airport on Wednesday. A series of upper-level disturbances moved through the region on Thursday, triggering severe storms with frequent lightning, strong winds, and heavy rain. There were multiple reports of wind damage in the Central Savannah River Area, especially near the Augusta area. Storm spotters reported additional wind damage in portions of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee, estimating wind gusts of up to 60 mph. The NWS station at the Orangeburg Municipal Airport recorded a 54-mph gust, and lightning caused a structural fire in North Myrtle Beach.
Conditions on Friday were hot and humid before a weak cold front moved into the region on Saturday, causing showers and thunderstorms and dropping temperatures back into the normal range through the weekend. Moderate rip currents were observed along some South Carolina beaches over the weekend, with two rescues reported along Folly Beach. On Sunday, a stalled frontal boundary and the sea breeze front helped trigger heavy rain in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee. Widespread totals between one to two inches of rain were measured, with some isolated locations in North Charleston recording over five inches of rain. A CoCoRaHS observer near Florence reported over three inches of rain in one hour and reports of multiple roads underwater in Florence.
(Note: The highest and lowest official temperatures and highest precipitation totals provided below are based on observations from the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer network and the National Weather Service's Forecast Offices.)| Weekly* | Since Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 0.14 | 32.34 | 5.7 |
| Greer Airport | 2.76 | 39.18 | 11.3 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 2.90 | 28.12 | 3.7 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.55 | 35.73 | 10.1 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 1.95M | 36.22M | 7.4M |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.74 | 36.60 | 11.0 |
| Florence Airport | 4.09 | 28.52 | 3.6 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 1.18 | 21.40 | -2.4 | Charleston Air Force Base | 3.80 | 28.73 | 1.2 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.32 | 26.19 | -1.3 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 79 degrees. Columbia: 82 degrees. Barnwell: 78 degrees. Mullins: 70 degrees.
Most of the state recorded at least half an inch of rain during the period; however, some areas south of the Charlotte Metropolitan Area measured less than a tenth of an inch, especially portions of Chester and Lancaster counties. Rainfall totals in the Upstate ranged mainly from half an inch to two inches, with isolated parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties recording over three inches. Across the Midlands, most locations received about an inch of rain, with isolated thunderstorms producing pockets of two to three inches of rain in Kershaw, Orangeburg, and Richland counties. More widespread areas of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee recorded over an inch of rain, with most Berkeley, Charleston, and Georgetown counties reporting higher amounts. A few CoCoRaHS observers in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Horry, and Jasper counties measured over four inches of rain during the period.
With rain falling across most of the state, the streamflow gauges continued to report values within the normal range. However, gauges in areas that received heavy rainfall, mainly those across the Coastal Plain, recorded above-average values. The river height values remained below action and minor flood stages.
