There was no significant weather during the period. High pressure controlled the weather on Monday, October 24, providing mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the 70s. An upper-level disturbance moved into the Mississippi Valley on Tuesday, and the southerly winds ahead of the system provided ample moisture into the region. Conditions were prime for the development of dense fog, especially at the coast, and the National Weather Service (NWS) stations at the Charleston International Airport, Florence Regional Airport, and North Myrtle Beach Airport reported visibilities less than a quarter mile. A weak cold front crossed the region from Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon, triggering scattered showers in the Upstate and Midlands. Rainfall totals amounted to less than half an inch in the Upstate and less than a tenth of an inch in the Midlands.
High pressure built into the region on Thursday, and the weather briefly transitioned to dry conditions and seasonable temperatures. On Friday, northeast winds brought Atlantic moisture into the area, with overcast skies and slightly cooler-than-normal temperatures. The wedge of high pressure pushed further into the region and continued to influence the weather over the weekend. Periods of heavy mist and light rain were observed across the state on Saturday and Sunday, providing light rain on Saturday and Sunday. High temperatures were up to fifteen degrees below normal, only reaching the upper 50s to low 60s.
The Charleston Harbor Tidal Gauge recorded high astronomical tides ranging between 7.14 feet and 7.77 feet MLLW starting on Tuesday and lasting through the remainder of the period. The higher tides caused shallow to moderate flooding in low-lying coastal areas and closed roads in the Charleston area due to saltwater flooding.
(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 | 0.23 | 27.15 | -11.0/td> |
| Greer Airport | 0.44 | 41.79 | 0.6 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.21 | 33.73 | -2.9 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.21 | 34.42 | -4.3 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.20 | 45.07s | 1.5s |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.01 | 41.15 | 3.7 |
| Florence Airport | 0.09 | 33.33 | -5.8 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.17 | 41.77 | -0.2 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.01 | 45.33 | -1.1 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | Trace | 33.20 | -9.3 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 61 degrees. Columbia: 67 degrees. Barnwell: 60 degrees. Mullins: 57 degrees.
The period was mainly dry, and most areas measured rainfall amounts of less than a quarter of an inch; however, a few CoCoRaHS observers reported over half an inch in the northern portions of Pickens and Oconee counties. With dry weather continuing in October, severe drought (D2) conditions were introduced into parts of Anderson, Greenville, and Laurens counties. Areas of moderate drought (D1) and abnormally dry (D0) conditions reflected on the United States Drought Monitor have expanded again in portions of the Upstate and along the Savannah River.
With the continued lack of rain, 14-day averages for streamflow gauges dropped drastically, with many gauges across the four major watersheds now reporting below-normal flows. Those gauges that reported average streamflow values were on the lower side of normal conditions. More than a dozen gauges responded to the lack of precipitation and reported flows much below average. The river heights on all the state’s rivers were observed below the flood stage, although King Tides produced higher water levels at tidal locations.
