A cold front pushed through the state on early Monday, August 19, triggering thunderstorms in portions of the Coastal Plain. Quarter-sized hail was reported in Moncks Corner in Berkeley County, and a wind gust of 49 mph was reported at Pinopolis Point on the south end of Lake Moultrie. Thunderstorms also caused minor wind damage in Williamsburg County. Morning lows in the upper 60s to lower 70s reached the upper 80s to low 90s by mid-day. The frontal boundary stalled along the immediate coast on Tuesday, and a weak area of low pressure formed, producing showers and thunderstorms. Some isolated portions of the coastal Lowcountry recorded up to two inches of rain.
Behind the front, northerly winds around an area of high-pressure north of the region provided dry conditions, low humidity, and cooler-than-normal temperatures for the second half of the work week. Morning temperatures dropped into the 50s at some locations, including 57 degrees at the National Weather Service (NWS) station near Santuck on Thursday. The station at North Myrtle Beach tied the record low of 63 degrees. Temperatures were slightly cooler on Friday morning, and the NWS station near Chester tied a record low of 54 degrees in 1953. The Batesburg station reported a low temperature of 62 degrees, which tied the record set back in 1911. Despite the sunny skies, high temperatures only reached the low 80s on Thursday and Friday. Breezy northeast winds along the coast continued to produce hazardous marine conditions and elevated risks of rip currents along the South Carolina coast. The Charleston Harbor tidal gauge reported maximum tide levels between 7.0 ft and 7.42 ft MLLW during the period, and shallow to moderate coastal flooding was reported in low-lying coastal areas.
Over the weekend, high pressure extended into the region, ushering in a return to more seasonable temperatures and conditions. Low temperatures were in the upper 60s and low 70s, and highs climbed back into the upper 80s to low 90s across the state. There was scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorm activity.
(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 | 0.11 | 34.87 | 4.2 |
| Greer Airport | 0.07 | 36.31 | 3.1 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.92 | 35.46 | 6.4 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.00 | 39.70 | 8.7 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.00 | 36.53 | 1.8 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.00 | 32.91 | 2.3 |
| Florence Airport | Trace | 35.91 | 5.6 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.97 | 39.27 | 9.4 | Charleston Air Force Base | Trace | 44.30 | 9.5 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.31 | 42.76 | 9.4 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: Not Available. Columbia: 76 degrees. Barnwell: 74 degrees. Mullins: 68 degrees.
The period was mainly dry across much of the state, with higher rainfall amounts confined to the coast, where from half an inch up to two inches of rain were reported. There were isolated pockets of rainfall totaling over a quarter of an inch in the Midlands near Columbia and the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. With little to no rain falling across most of the Upstate, abnormally dry (D0) conditions continued to be seen across the Upper Savannah on the U.S. Drought Monitor map released on Thursday, August 22.
With little to no rain falling across the state during the period, the 14-day average streamflow values at gauges across much of the state dropped, with only a few stations in the Coastal Plain still reporting values that were above average, such as the Edisto River at Givhans Ferry and Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry. However, with the continued lack of rain and persistent drought conditions in portions of the Upper Savannah River Basin, the 14-day average streamflow values dropped further, with more gauges recording below-average flows, including multiple gauges in the Saluda River. River heights continued to fall slowly, with most falling below major and moderate flood stages.
