Mild to warm weather with afternoon high temperatures in the 70's began the last full week of December. A slow moving, cold air mass approached the state on Tuesday. On Wednesday the boundary stalled across the Piedmont. Warm, moist air overrunning a layer of freezing temperatures near the surface produced icing on trees, power lines and elevated roadways in the upstate. Cloudy skies, off and on showers and cold northerly winds held daytime temperature readings on Thursday and Christmas Friday in the 30's. Additional icing of elevated surfaces was reported across the northeastern counties around Florence Saturday. The week ended with a mix of drizzle and clouds. Statewide temperatures for the week averaged near normal.
PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA
The maximum observed temperature was 80 degrees on December 22 at Cades and Kingstree. The minimum observed temperature was 17 degrees at Cedar Creek on the morning of December 27. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall was 2.20 inches at Summerville ending 7:00 a.m. on December 26. Statewide rainfall for the period averaged 1.62 inches.
Precipitation
Period 1998 Deviation* Temperature
Location Total Total From Avg. Maximum Minimum
Greer 1.60 51.8 1.0A 66 25
Charlotte, NC 1.90 40.9 1.8B 71 22
Columbia 0.93 46.5 2.9B 76 23
Florence FAA 1.29 43.8 0.4A 78 23
Blackville 1.49 48.1 1.5A 79 27
Augusta, GA 0.74 47.7 3.5A 79 30
Beaufort 2.08 55.0 4.0A 78 32
Charleston AP 2.32 67.6 16.6A 79 29
Myrtle Beach E1.15 58.8 12.3A 79 27
*A=Above, B=Below E=Estimate
Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7:00 a.m.
Monday through ending 7:00 a.m. Sunday
ENERGY DEMAND AND AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY
Degree Days
Actual
December 1-27
Cooling Heating
Columbia 16 349
Charleston 26 246
Greenville 4 443
Temperatures are expected to average near normal for the week. Rainfall is
expected to be near normal. The National Weather Service located at Columbia
Metropolitan Airport reports an average 4-inch depth soil temperature of 51
degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF
Rivers are near normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 53 degrees.
sco@water.dnr.state.sc.us http://water.dnr.state.sc.us/climate/sco/weekly/wk122998.html