A warm front lifted north from the northern Gulf of Mexico into the region on Monday, December 5, increasing rain chances through Tuesday. Temperatures were up to ten degrees cooler in parts of the Upstate under cloudy skies, where temperatures struggled to reach the 50s. Elsewhere across the Midlands and much of the Pee Dee, daytime highs reached the mid-50s. The front continued to push through the region on Tuesday, setting up cold air damming conditions in the Midlands and Upstate, with warmer temperatures in the Lowcountry, Pee Dee, and southern Midlands. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport measured a high of 57 degrees. In contrast, 35 miles away, the station at the Orangeburg Regional Airport recorded a high of 67 degrees.
Rain chances decreased throughout the day as the front cleared the state, but dense fog developed late on Tuesday across the state and lingered through Wednesday morning. Many locations reported visibility of less than a quarter of a mile. By mid-afternoon, conditions were drier and warmer in the Lowcountry, and temperatures were well above average, with highs reaching the upper 70s to low 80s. The NWS station at the Charleston International Airport tied the daily maximum temperature record of 81 degrees set in 1998. By Thursday, rain chances increased heading into the evening hours, and light rain started to fall across the region lasting through Friday. Temperatures were mild overnight, in the upper 40s to low 50, but cooler during the day, with highs reaching the upper 50s to low 60s.
A surface wedge remained in place through the weekend, thanks to a strong surface ridge along the East Coast and northeasterly winds across the region. High temperatures were below average due to the increased cloud cover and rain chances.
(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 | 2.09 | 34.93 | -98.5 |
| Greer Airport | 1.52 | 51.64 | 5.0 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.70 | 40.57 | -0.6 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.17 | 38.99 | -3.7 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.62M | 48.02M | -0.2M |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 1.56 | 45.76 | 4.4 |
| Florence Airport | 0.350 | 37.09 | -5.8 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.19 | 44.55 | -1.9 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.37 | 48.85 | -1.4 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.12 | 35.25 | -10.7 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 52 degrees. Columbia: 59 degrees. Barnwell: 54 degrees. Mullins: Not Available.
Widespread rainfall occurred over the state during the period, with the highest amounts falling in the northern portions of the state, especially in the headwaters of the Savannah River. Parts of Abbeville, Anderson, Greenwood, McCormick, Oconee, and Pickens counties reported between two and three inches of rain. Much of the Lowcountry and Midlands recorded between half an inch and two inches, with the higher amounts north of the Interstate 20 corridor. The only area that recorded less than half an inch of rain was the lower portion of the Pee Dee River basin. On the latest United States Drought Monitor (USDM), severe drought (D2) was removed from parts of Abbeville, Anderson, and McCormick counties, and the recent rains helped ease moderate drought (D1) and abnormally dry (D0) conditions along the Savannah River and in the Pee Dee region.
The 14-day averages for stream flows at many gauges in a portion of headwaters of the Pee Dee, Santee, and Savannah watersheds continued to show some improvements due to recent rainfall. A few gauges measured flows slightly above to well above average, including the Saluda River near Columbia. However, some gauges in the lower Pee Dee and Savannah River basins reported below-normal stream flows, with continued 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.
