Statewide weather conditions on Monday, November 28, were dry and warm, despite a weak reinforcing cold front moving through the area. Observed high and low temperatures ranged between five and ten degrees above normal. Moisture returned to the region, and temperatures warmed ahead of a strong cold front moving in from the west on Tuesday. Showers started overnight, and by Wednesday morning, CoCoRaHS observers in the Upstate recorded over an inch of rain, especially in areas near and north of the Interstate 85 corridor. The strong cold front continued to push through the state, producing widespread rain and thunderstorms, but the threat of severe weather remained low.
November 30 also marked the official end of the 2022 Hurricane Season, which produced 14 named storms, eight hurricanes, and two major hurricanes.
Cool and dry conditions were observed on the first day of climatological winter, Thursday, December 1, behind the front as high pressure settled into the Midwest. Morning temperatures dropped into the upper 20s to mid-30s, and high temperatures were five degrees cooler than normal, with highs reaching the low to upper 50s across most of the state.
Overnight temperatures dropped into the low to mid-20s on Friday, making it the coldest morning during the period. The high pressure shifted off the Mid-Atlantic coast, and temperatures moderated toward normal for the beginning of December, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. The start of the weekend was mostly cloudy, with scattered showers starting overnight and lingering throughout the day as another cold front moved through the Southeast. Parts of the Upstate reported up to a third of an inch of rain, with temperatures in the upper 50s, while temperatures climbed into the mid-70s in the Lowcountry, Midlands, and Pee Dee regions. Temperatures were a little cooler behind the front on Sunday as the front stalled over the Florida Panhandle, providing periods of light rain Sunday night and into the new workweek.
(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 | 2.31 | 32.84 | -9.6 |
| Greer Airport | 2.17 | 50.12 | 4.5 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 1.40 | 39.87 | -4.1 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.45 | 37.05 | -4.1 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.02M | 46.80M | -0.3M |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.72 | 44.20 | 3.6 |
| Florence Airport | 0.36 | 36.59 | -5.6 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.20 | 44.36 | -1.4 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.23 | 48.48 | -1.1 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.06 | 35.13 | -910.1 |
| *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: 59 degrees. Barnwell: 55 degrees. Mullins: 49 degrees.
For the second period in a row, most of the rain recorded fell north and west of the Interstate 20 corridor. Widespread amounts of over half an inch were measured in this area, with higher rainfall reported in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties. Some CoCoRaHS observers reported over two and a half inches of rain. Other locations in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee measured rainfall totals of less than half an inch. On the latest United States Drought Monitor (USDM), severe drought (D2) was observed in parts of Abbeville, Anderson, and McCormick counties. Moderate drought (D1) and abnormally dry (D0) conditions persisted along the Savannah River and in the Pee Dee region.
The 14-day averages for stream flows at many gauges in the state portion of headwaters of the Pee Dee, Santee, and Savannah watersheds showed some improvements or remained near normal in areas that received rainfall. A few gauges measured flows slightly above normal, including the Saluda River below Lake Murray. However, some gauges that reported average streamflow values in the ACE, Pee Dee, and Savannah River basins reported below-normal stream flows, including well below normal-flows on the Coosawhatchie River near Hampton. The river heights on all the state's rivers were observed below the flood stage.
