A dry high-pressure remained in control of the weather pattern on Monday, September 13, and continued through Tuesday evening, when it moved offshore. Overnight low temperatures across the state were in the upper 50s to low 60s, up to five degrees cooler than normal in some locations, thanks to the dry air over the region. Daytime temperatures on Monday and Tuesday were slightly above normal, climbing into the upper 80s and low 90s.
Tropical Storm Nicholas continued to track near the Texas coast in the western Gulf of Mexico, strengthening into a hurricane on Monday night before making landfall early Tuesday morning near Sargent Beach, Texas.
Rain chances returned to the region due to a storm system to the northwest and increased deep moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicholas. On Wednesday, September 15, slow-moving thunderstorms dumped more than two inches in parts of the Midlands, causing minor street flooding in Bethune in Kershaw County and flooding multiple roads in downtown Orangeburg, including a portion of US Highway 301. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport measured a wind gust of 52 mph as the storms pushed through the area. Heavy rain also caused a portion of Two Notch Road in Columbia to be closed due to two to three feet of standing water. Cool temperatures continued with widespread light to moderate rainfall on Thursday. Temperatures were up to ten degrees below normal on Thursday due to cloud cover and rain. Locations along the Savannah River and in the Upstate did not get out of the 70s for daytime highs. Other places in the Midlands and Pee Dee climbed into the lower 80s. A short wave over the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) and Lowcountry contributed to additional rainfall in the area, causing flooding in Aiken and North Augusta. CoCoRaHS observers in Aiken County reported over four inches of rain from the event. Closer to the coast, the NWS station at the Charleston International Airport recorded 2.24 inches in two hours, 1.36 inches in less than an hour.
As the systems pulled away from the region, a more summer-like pattern returned, with isolated and scattered showers and thunderstorms in the late afternoon and early evenings for the rest of the period. Afternoon temperatures on Friday were slightly below normal, ranging from 79 degrees at the Clemson Oconee County Airport to 89 degrees at the Florence Regional Airport. By Saturday, temperatures rose back into the upper 80s and low 90s and remained slightly above normal over the weekend. A high tide of 7.53 ft. MLLW was observed at the Charleston Harbor Tidal gauge Sunday night, causing moderate coastal flooding in low-lying areas.
(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 | 1.27 | 32.19 | -1.6 |
| Greer Airport | 0.73 | 39.28 | 3.1 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.14 | 30.63 | -1.5 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 2.20 | 41.04 | 6.9 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 2.31 | 34.70M | 1.7M |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 3.79 | 46.45 | 12.8 |
| Florence Airport | Trace | 35.70 | 1.5 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | Trace | 38.97 | 3.3 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 2.29 | 46.82 | 6.8 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 1.19 | 35.04M | -2.3M |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 77 degrees. Columbia: 79 degrees. Barnwell: 74 degrees. Mullins: 71 degrees.
Most of the Pee Dee and portions of the Piedmont and northern Midlands missed out on the rainfall during the period. Except for a few isolated storms, rainfall totals were less than a quarter of an inch during the seven days. Elsewhere, areas to the south and west of the Saluda River recorded at least an inch of rain, most of that falling during the middle of the period. Two-day totals ranged from two to six inches across the Central Savannah River Area and Lowcountry. The rain alleviated some of the abnormally dry conditions that had started to develop after a few weeks of little rainfall in the area.
During the period, most of the streamflow gauges recorded streamflow values near normal. Gauges along the streams and tributaries of the Savannah that received the highest rainfall totals for the seven days reported streamflow values slightly above normal. With limited rainfall in parts of the state, some gauges recorded streamflow values below normal, including the Congaree near Columbia, the Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry, and the Saluda River at Chappells. Most of the rivers in the state recorded heights below the flood stage during the period.
