On Monday, September 9, a surface high pressure provided dry air and slightly below-average to near-average temperatures. Similar weather conditions persisted through the first half of the week as Canadian high pressure built in from the north. Low temperatures climbed from the upper 50s and low 60s into the upper 70s to low 80s. Temperatures started to warm slightly on Tuesday, with high temperatures climbing into the mid-80s, but dry air remained in place across much of the region.
As Hurricane Francine approached the Louisiana coast and made landfall on Wednesday, temperatures were still five to ten degrees cooler than normal. Cloud cover increased as low-level moisture streamed back into the region. Rain chances remained low on Wednesday, but as the remnants of Francine moved north through Mississippi on Thursday, tropical moisture spread into the Southeast. High pressure remained over the region, but a stationary front lingered to the south, helping trigger isolated and scattered storms in portions of the southern Lowcountry.
High pressure remained over the region on Friday while a front meandered well offshore and to the south. Rain chances continued to increase throughout the day as deep moisture lifted into the area. Some pockets of moderate to heavy rain developed in the late afternoon and lingered into Saturday. Attention also turned to a developing area of low pressure off the Southeast coast and its potential impacts on the state. Rough surf and strong rip current conditions were observed over the weekend. The onshore flow and the full moon and king tide cycle at the beginning of the following week produced coastal flooding over the weekend. The tidal levels at the Charleston Harbor gauge ranged between 7.15 and 7.75 feet MLLW, causing minor to moderate saltwater flooding in low-lying coastal areas on Saturday and Sunday.
(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 | 0.34 | 36.00 | 2.7 |
| Greer Airport | 0.08 | 37.14 | 1.4 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | Trace | 36.50 | 4.8 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.24 | 40.00 | 6.4 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.07 | 36.54 | -1.0 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.23 | 33.57 | 0.4 |
| Florence Airport | 0.30 | 36.39 | 2.8 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 1.79 | 41.82 | 6.9 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.30 | 45.54 | 6.7 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.11 | 45.02 | 8.3 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: Not Available. Columbia: 77 degrees. Barnwell: 73 degrees. Mullins: 70 degrees.
It was another dry period across much of the state, with less than a quarter of of an inch of rain falling outside of isolated portions of the Upstate and the coastal Pee Dee region. Rainfall totals of up to two inches fell along the Grand Strand, with a localized amount of two inches falling near Mullins and Nichols. Portions of the Upper Savannah recorded between half an inch and an inch of rain.
The drier-than-normal conditions were reflected in the U.S. Drought Monitor map released on Thursday, September 12. With the continued lack of beneficial rain in the Upstate, the extent of the severe drought (D2) conditions was increased across Abbeville, Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties, and moderate drought (D1) conditions were expanded into Greenwood and McCormick counties. The abnormally dry (D0) conditions were expanded and introduced into the Midlands and interior portions of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee regions.
The 14-day average streamflow values at most of the gauges across the state continued to report below-normal values due to the persistent dry conditions during the past few periods. Only a few gauges reported values that were above average, such as the Black Creek near Hartsville and the Santee River near Pineville. The lack of rain and persistent drought conditions in portions of the Upper and Central Savannah River Basin caused the 14-day average streamflow values to drop further, with gauges recording much below-average flows, including multiple gauges along creeks and tributaries of the Saluda and Savannah rivers. River height gauges across the state recorded heights below minor flood stages. However, the tidal gauge recorded heights in the minor and moderate flood stages on Saturday and Sunday.
