The period started with above-average temperatures on Monday, November 7, with highs reaching the upper 70s to lower 80s across the state. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Florence Regional Airport measured a maximum temperature of 82 degrees, breaking the previous daily record of 81 degrees set in 1985. Subtropical Storm Nicole formed east of the Bahamas on Monday and would impact South Carolina by the middle of the week. By early Tuesday morning, a backdoor cold front started to push south into the state. Daytime highs on Tuesday were still above average, but the cooler and drier air behind the cold front helped bring temperatures back to typical values for November.
The pressure gradient between Nicole and a strong high pressure to the north of the region created gusty winds across the state, but especially along the coast. The pattern continued through the work week before the storm surge associated with Nicole affected our coast Thursday night into Friday. The onshore flow caused saltwater flooding at high tide, and the Charleston Harbor Tidal Gauge recorded values between 7.12 feet and 8.35 feet MLLW, which caused moderate and major flooding in low-lying coastal areas.
Moisture built into the Southeast on Thursday as Hurricane Nicole made two landfalls in Florida, one near Vero Beach and the other near Cedar Key. The storm weakened to a depression and moved through southwestern Georgia and off toward the northeast. Rainfall totals ending the morning of Friday, November 11, ranged from half an inch to three inches across the state. Some coastal stations recorded wind gusts of up to 45 mph with the storm's passage.
Ahead of another cold front, temperatures rose into the mid-70s to near 80 degrees on Saturday afternoon. There was enough low-level moisture to produce light rain as the boundary pushed through the state. As high pressure built into the region on Sunday, much colder air moved in behind the cold front. Temperatures were below average, with highs across the state only reaching the upper 50s and lower 60s. Sunday evening temperatures dropped into the 30s.
(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 | 1.24 | 29.17 | -10.6 |
| Greer Airport | 2.36 | 46.53 | 3.7 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.76 | 36.14 | -2.0 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.42 | 36.58 | -3.4 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 1.55 | 46.68s | 0.2s |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 1.21 | 42.97 | 4.3 |
| Florence Airport | 2.02 | 35.66 | -4.7 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 1.40 | 43.17 | -0.4 | Charleston Air Force Base | 2.48 | 47.84 | 0.2 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 1.22 | 34.67 | -8.8 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 51 degrees. Columbia: 61 degrees. Barnwell: 57 degrees. Mullins: 67 degrees.
Most of the precipitation recorded during the period was associated with the passage of Nicole through the state on Thursday and Friday. Widespread totals of over half an inch were measured across much of the state, with localized amounts of up to two inches in the Upstate and up to three inches recorded in the Lowcountry. CoCoRaHS observers in and around downtown Charleston reported between two and two and a half inches, with an observer in Berkeley recording 3.08 inches of rain. Rain helped ease the severe drought (D2) conditions in Greenville and Laurens counties. However, D2 conditions were introduced into the parts of Abbeville, McCormick, and Oconee counties that border the Savannah River. Areas of moderate drought (D1) conditions were added in parts of the Pee Dee and lower Savannah River area, while there was some improvement to abnormally dry (D0) conditions in the Midlands.
Rainfall from the remnants of Nicole helped with some of the low 14-day averages for stream flows at many gauges across the four major watersheds. Rain in the headwaters and within the Santee and Savannah rivers caused streamflow values to return to normal across the Upstate and most of the Midlands. Unfortunately, not all streamflow values saw improvements due to the rainfall. Some gauges along the lower Savannah were still recording values below normal and the gauges along the Little Pee Dee River and the Lynches in the Pee Dee measured flows well-below normal. The river heights on all the state’s rivers were observed below the flood stage, although onshore winds produced higher water levels during most of the period at tidal locations.
