Despite the weak cold front that continued to push through the state, many locations started the week with temperatures in the mid-40's to lower 60's on Monday, March 11. A new record high minimum temperature of 63 degrees was set at the National Weather Service (NWS) station in Summerville, breaking the previous daily record of 62 degrees set back in 1974. High temperatures across the state were in the upper 60's to low 70's, five to ten degrees above normal. A weak disturbance moved through the area late Monday night, producing scattered showers and light rain. NWS and CoCoRaHS stations across the state reported rainfall totals of less than a quarter of an inch. As the system cleared the state by early Tuesday morning, drier air and fair weather took over that would dominate the weather pattern through midweek. Minimum temperatures on Tuesday were in the upper 30's to mid-40's across the state, as high pressure expanded into the region. Daytime high temperatures still climbed into the mid-60's to near 70 degrees under mostly clear skies.
The high pressure centered over the Mid-Atlantic began to shift offshore on Wednesday, March 13, as the next weather system that would impact the area toward the end of the week developed in the Four Corners region. The dry conditions continued; however, the surface winds turned from the east to the south-southeast bringing warmer temperatures and increased moisture into the Carolinas. Minimum temperatures for Wednesday, March 13, were mainly above freezing, though a few NWS stations in the Piedmont reported values at or below 32 degrees. Even with the cooler start to the day, temperatures reached the upper 60's to near 70 degrees. Minimum temperatures on Thursday, March 14, moderated due to the southerly winds and only fell to the upper 40's and lower 50's, while the high temperatures for the day were ten to fifteen degrees above normal; with observed temperatures in the mid-70's in the Upstate to the upper 70's in portions of the Lowcountry.
On Friday, March 15, ahead of the cold front, a new record 24-hour precipitation total ending the morning of the 15th was recorded at the NWS station in Caesars Head: 1.54 inches, which was 0.39 inches higher than the record set in 2009 (1.15 inches). The one-day total was also the bulk of the weekly rainfall total of 1.69 inches observed at the station. Low temperatures were measured more than 20 degrees warmer than normal, with stations across the state reporting values in the upper 50's to low 60's. Maximum temperatures in the Midlands were between 15 and 20 degrees above normal, and were in the top ten warmest March 15th's on record in Aiken, Columbia and Florence, as temperatures reached the lower to mid-80's. As the cold front pushed through the Palmetto State, it did not produce a lot of rain south of the Interstate 85 corridor.
The low temperatures on Saturday, March 16, signaled another change in air masses, as high pressure built back into the region, bringing cooler and drier air, with minimum temperatures recorded in the upper 40's to mid-50's. The NWS station at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport reported a high of 82 degrees on Friday and a high of 59 degrees on Saturday. Daytime temperatures struggled to reach the upper 50's across much of the state, though a few isolated areas climbed to the mid-60's. Temperatures Sunday morning were cooler than the previous day, with lows dipping down to the upper 30's to low 40's. Despite the clear skies, high temperatures statewide on St. Patrick's Day only rose to the mid-60's, as the high pressure would dominate the weather pattern into the early part of the new work week.
(Note: The highest and lowest official temperatures and highest precipitation totals provided below are based on observations from the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer network and the National Weather Service's Forecast Offices.)| Weekly* | Since Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 0.32 | 12.77 | 2.5 |
| Greer Airport | 0.45 | 14.82 | 4.5 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.11 | 13.14 | 4.1 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | Trace | 6.36 | -3.0 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.05 | 5.89 | -3.9 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.05 | 7.16 | -3.1 |
| Florence Airport | 0.06M | 6.39 | -1.7 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.01M | 5.01 | -4.2 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.11 | 2.99 | -5.7 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.15 | 5.08 | -3.5 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 50 degrees. Columbia: 58 degrees. Barnwell: 49 degrees. Mullins: Not Available.
For the second week in a row, the rainfall totals across the Palmetto State for the previous seven days ranged from a tenth of an inch in portions of the Lowcountry and Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) to over two inches in parts of the Upstate. Above normal streamflow values were reported along the Saluda River near Greenville, while other rivers and streams in the Upstate returned to normal streamflow levels for this time of year. Parts of the Pee Dee, Santee and Savannah rivers remained near minor flood stage. Since the beginning of the year, locations in Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg counties have reported rainfall totals between 15 and 25 inches, while the Midlands and interior portions of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee regions of the state have measured five to ten inches of rainfall. Streamflow values in the middle tier of the state are near normal, though some area rivers, such as the North Fork of the Edisto near Orangeburg, are reporting flows below normal. Along the coast, portions of Charleston, Georgetown and Horry counties continue to miss out on rainfall and have only recorded up to five inches below normal since the beginning of the year.
Charleston Harbor (CHTS1): 61.2 degrees.
Capers Nearshore Buoy (Station 41029): 59.5 degrees.
Fripps Nearshore Buoy (Station 41033): 60.4 degrees.
