WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2017

February 13, 2017 - February 19, 2017

WEATHER SUMMARY:

Another seasonal body of dry, cold air made its southward pass on Monday. At 1:35 p.m., Spartanburg Memorial AP noted a relative humidity value of just 8 percent. Frost was observed on Tuesday morning into the Lowcountry. The Georgetown AP reported a minimum temperature of 31 degrees and Walterboro came in with a freezing 32 degrees. A distinct boundary of warm air advanced into the state early on Wednesday causing severe weather. At 10:26 a.m., thunderstorm winds at the Orangeburg AP gusted to 61 mph. Straight-line winds near Elko were estimated by a NWS storm survey team at 80 mph. Hailstones of 1.50 inches in diameter fell near Bonneau Beach. At around 11:30 a.m., an EF-1 rated tornado raced eastward from near the Adrian Highway, Highway 701 intersection, and parallel to the Conway Bypass for close to 5 miles. Farm buildings and sheds were destroyed, home windows were broken and there was extensive tree damage. The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station reached a spring-like 78 degrees. Rainfall measurements taken on Thursday morning included 1.17 inches at the Columbia Metro AP, 1.12 inches in Bishopville, 1.10 inches in Edgefield, and 1.05 inches at Johnston and Aiken. Low temperatures on Thursday fell to 27 degrees at Lake Greenwood and North. Afternoon temperatures ranged from 58 degrees at York to 68 degrees at Hilton Head Island. Shaw AFB in Sumter cooled to 36 degrees on Friday morning before doubling in warmth to a mild 72 degrees that afternoon. A broad and expanding area of low pressure over Florida produced mostly cloudy skies and a few light showers on Saturday. Georgetown AP reported an afternoon high temperature of 73 degrees. Clarks Hill received 0.23 inches of rain and 0.16 inches were measured at Walhalla and Chester. Under sunny skies, the 4:00 p.m. temperature on Sunday was 72 degrees at Anderson, Orangeburg, Shaw AFB and Florence.

The highest official temperature reported was 81 degrees at Dillon on February 13. The lowest official temperature reported was 24 degrees at Ninety Nine Islands on February 14 and 16. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.70 inches at Dillon ending at 7:00 a.m. on February 16. The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 0.5 inches. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was five degrees above the long-term average.

PRECIPITATION:

  Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Anderson AP 0.56 6.33 -0.8
Greer AP 0.34 5.55 -0.9
Charlotte, NC AP 0.47 6.84 1.3
Columbia Metro AP 1.18 8.64 2.7
Orangeburg AP 0.82 6.65 0.4
Augusta, GA Bush AP 0.99 12.03 5.5
Florence AP 0.78 4.86 -0.3
N Myrtle Beach AP 0.49 3.34 -2.6
Charleston AP 0.04 4.18 -1.5
Savannah, GA AP 0.02 6.75 1.2

Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL:

4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton 51 degrees. Columbia 60 degrees. Barnwell 52 degrees. Mullins 60 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF:

South Carolina river stages were much below normal across the Upstate and near to below normal from the Midlands to the coast. Charleston Harbor Custom House reported a water temperature of 59 degrees. Sunset Beach, NC, Nearshore Buoy (NDBC 41024) reported a water temperature of 56 degrees.