Cool mornings and mostly sunny afternoons were observed Monday into Wednesday. Clouds, expanding away from a tropical low-pressure feature over central Florida, began entering the state's southern counties Wednesday morning. On Thursday and Friday, onshore surface winds helped bring widely scattered rains to locations near the coast. Georgetown AP measured 1.94 inches during a thundershower. A few isolated thunderstorm cells developed Saturday evening but most of South Carolina reported a day of sunny, blue skies mixed with drifting, white cumulus clouds. Autumn 2007 officially started Sunday morning although the thermometer climbed back into the summer-like 90's by late afternoon. The state average temperature for the period was one degree above normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 97 degrees at Cheraw and Darlington AP on September 23. The lowest official temperature reported was 48 degrees at Cedar Creek on the morning of September 19. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.91 inches at Saluda ending at 7:00 a.m. on September 23. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.2 inches.
Precipitation Weekly Jan 1 Deviation Total Total From Avg Greer 0.01 23.46 -14.3 Columbia 0.01 23.63 -14.7 Orangeburg 0.07 31.00 -7.3 Charlotte, NC 0.09 21.36 -11.1 Augusta, GA 0.00 24.69 -10.1 Florence 0.01 26.41 -8.6 N Myrtle Beach 0.63 25.60 -9.3 Charleston 1.69 31.87 -9.5 Savannah, GA 1.41 35.98 -4.3 Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 80 degrees.
South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at S Capers Island were reported at 81 degrees.
Autumn 2007 will officially begin Sunday, September 23 at 5:51 a.m. EDT
For additional information contact tylerw@dnr.sc.gov or by calling (803) 734-9100.