WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2016

December 19, 2016 - December 25, 2016

WEATHER SUMMARY:

Soaking rains into Monday morning left amounts of 1.63 inches at Hartsville, 1.57 inches at Dillon, 1.48 inches at Shaw AFB and 1.19 inches at Blackville. A layer of cold air and passing showers held the noon hour temperature at Spartanburg, Laurens and Darlington to just 37 degrees. The Columbia Metro AP 3:00 p.m. temperature of 41 degrees was exactly half of the same hour's value on Sunday. Tuesday's statewide high temperature was only 48 degrees at Clarks Hill. The Winter Solstice arrived before sunrise on Wednesday with reports of freezing fog. The 7:58 a.m. surface weather observation at McEntire ANG AP indicated a visibility of less than one-sixteenth of a mile and 31 degrees. Rock Hill reported a minimum temperature of 22 degrees and it was a freezing 32 degrees at the Moncks Corner AP. Temperatures began a slow warming trend on Thursday with McClellanville and Bennettsville reaching 68 degrees. Sandhill cooled to 36 degrees on Friday morning. Onshore winds, over mid-50-degree waters, kept afternoon high temperatures nearer to seasonal averages. Light winds shifted southwesterly on Saturday sending the mercury to 74 degrees at N Myrtle Beach AP. On Christmas morning Sunday, there were no reports of freezing. The daybreak temperature at Laurens was 42 degrees with Lake City and Summerville at 46 degrees. Sunny, balmy conditions were observed through late afternoon. At 3:00 p.m., Shaw AFB and Orangeburg were at 73 degrees with 51 percent relative humidity. Columbia, Johnston and Holly Hill all shared a holiday high temperature of 75 degrees. The warmest known Christmas day in South Carolina occurred at Aiken in 1984 with 82 degrees.

The highest official temperature reported was 77 degrees at Charleston AP and Johns Island AP on December 24, and at Orangeburg, Charleston AP, Walterboro AP and Hilton Head Island AP on December 25. The lowest official temperature reported was 20 degrees at Spartanburg 3SSE on December 21. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.75 inches at Darlington ending at 7:00 a.m. on December 19. The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 0.3 inches. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was five degrees above the long-term average.

PRECIPITATION:

Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL:

4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton 52 degrees. Columbia 59 degrees. Barnwell 51 degrees. Mullins 54 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF:

South Carolina river stages were near to much below normal (Upstate). Charleston Harbor Custom House reported a water temperature of 57 degrees. Sunset Beach, NC Nearshore Buoy (NDBC 41024) reported a water temperature of 56 degrees.