Thanks to a strong cold front that pushed through the state over the weekend, the period started with cool temperatures. Both minimum and maximum temperatures across the region were up to ten degrees below normal on Monday, November 2. Morning lows were reported in the upper 30s to lower 40s, and, even under sunny skies, high temperatures struggled to climb out of the upper 50s. With the surface-high pressure in place, widespread areas reported overnight temperatures nearly fifteen degrees below normal, dropping to either freezing or slightly below the freezing mark. Locations from the Upstate down through interior portions of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee observed minimum temperatures in the upper 20s to mid-30s. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Rock Hill York County Airport reported a low of 30 degrees. Simultaneously, coastal locations were slightly warmer, such as the 38 degrees low measured at the Beaufort MCAS station.
The widespread frost/freeze event brought an end to the growing season, and all frost and freeze products from the National Weather Service are discontinued until the spring of 2021.
By midweek, the high pressure continued to keep the region dry and quiet, but the trough and associated surface high pressure started to shift out of the region. Even though the morning low temperatures were still cool, bottoming out in the mid-30s to lower 40s, the maximum temperatures were near normal, reaching the upper 60s to lower 70s. On Thursday, the high pressure moved to the north, and onshore winds brought increased moisture into the Southeast, which led to the possibility of scattered showers over the weekend. The southerly flow also helped increase temperatures through the rest of the period. On Friday, the NWS station at the Charleston International Airport reached 80 degrees for the daily high. Minimum temperatures did not drop out of the mid-60s at many locations across the state, nearly fifteen degrees above normal. Many stations in the Midlands and Pee Dee reached the lower 80s for highs, with 82 degrees reported on Sunday at the NWS station located at the Florence Regional Airport.
(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 | 0.00 | 53.58 | 16.2 |
| Greer Airport | 0.00 | 65.08 | 24.8 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.00 | 49.55 | 13.5 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.00 | 49.47 | 10.1 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.00 | 35.83 | -5.3 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.00 | 51.31 | 13.3 |
| Florence Airport | 0.00 | 54.99 | 17.1 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.10 | 46.90 | 1.2 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.09 | 49.24 | 3.6 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.54 | 46.49 | 3.2 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 64 degrees. Columbia: 69 degrees. Barnwell: 64 degrees. Mullins: 63 degrees.
After Tropical Storm Zeta pushed through the area, a dry and quiet weather pattern set up during the period, with small amounts of rain scattered across the state. The highest amount observed during the seven days was 0.90 inches, reported by a CoCoRaHS observer in the Conway area. Most stations reported no rainfall, but radar estimates show that a few other locations in Berkeley, Horry, and Williamsburg counties measured around half an inch of rain. Despite the lack of rainfall over the past couple of weeks, most of the year-to-date rainfall totals across the state continued to be above-normal values, mainly due to the wet start to 2020. However, parts of the Central Savannah River Area, Lowcountry, and southern Midlands were slightly drier, with precipitation totals closer to or slightly below normal.
The continued dry conditions across the state allowed the streamflow values and stage heights to drop through much of the week. Even with the Upstate's dry conditions, many of the streamflow gauges in the area still reported above normal values. The limited rainfall over portions of the Pee Dee had no impact on the region's streamflow values. Statewide, none of the 14-day streamflow averages were below normal.
