The weather pattern during much of the period was dominated by a high-pressure system, leading to dry and warm weather across the Palmetto State. On the morning of Monday, April 22, many of the National Weather Service (NWS) stations reported low temperatures in the mid- to upper 40s, which were five to ten degrees below normal, due to the change in airmass behind the cold front that pushed through the region over the weekend. Daytime temperatures reach the mid- to upper 70's, with the NWS station at the Beaufort MCAS reaching 81 degrees after a morning low of 49 degrees. As the high pressure settled into the area, minimum temperatures on Tuesday were still slightly cooler for this time of year, with observed values in the low to mid-50's. But under sunny skies, temperatures warmed rapidly across the state into the mid- to upper 80's, which were ten to fifteen degrees above normal.
The warming trend continued into Wednesday, April 24, as the center of the surface high pressure shifted over the western Atlantic. The minimum temperatures started in the upper 50's to low 60's, roughly five degrees above normal. With limited cloud cover, high temperatures soared once again into the mid- to upper 80's. The NWS station located at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport recorded a maximum temperature of 89 degrees. High temperatures for the day were in the top ten warmest on record at the NWS stations in Charleston, Florence and Greenville. Conditions on Thursday were similar to Wednesday, with minimum and maximum temperatures running above normal. The NWS station at Long Creek tied the daily high minimum temperature record of 60 degrees set back in 1961. Breezy conditions, with frequent gusts up to 25 mph, developed overnight as the ridge quickly shifted off to the east, and a low-pressure system approached the region.
The most active weather day during the period occurred on Friday, April 26, as the low pressure and associated cold front brought some unsettled weather to the state. Morning low temperatures across the area were in the lower 50's to near 60 degrees, or five to ten degrees above normal, and high temperatures for the day ranged from the mid-70's to low 80's. The front produced some spotty showers in the Piedmont and Upstate, the only rain that was measured during the week. The passage of the front caused windy conditions during the early afternoon. There were reports of wind damage, mainly from downed trees, associated with wind gusts up to 40 mph. There were locally higher gusts, including a gust of 46 mph at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
High pressure returned on Saturday, April 27, to control the weather throughout the remainder of the weekend. Low temperatures on Saturday morning were reported in the low to mid 40's, which were five to ten degrees cooler than average minimum temperatures for late April. With ample sunshine, temperatures rebounded to the mid-70's and low 80's for daytime high temperatures across the state. Sunday proved to be another day of clear skies and tranquil conditions. Minimum temperatures started in the mid- to low 50's and climbed into the low to upper 80's, to round out the weather for the 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 | 0.05 | 16.71 | 1.7 |
| Greer Airport | 0.08 | 19.27 | 3.8 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.07 | 19.00 | 5.4 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.00 | 9.36 | -4.0 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.00 | 9.87 | -4.4 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.00 | 10.78 | -3.9 |
| Florence Airport | 0.00 | 10.91 | -1.0 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.00 | 10.16 | -3.7 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.00 | 6.07 | -7.0 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.00 | 7.63 | -5.5 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 66 degrees. Columbia: 69 degrees. Barnwell: 61 degrees. Mullins: 69 degrees.
Conditions were dry during the seven days, with only a few locations in the Piedmont and Upstate reporting rainfall. Most of the rainfall totals were less than a tenth of an inch, though a few isolated places received up to half an inch of rain. Because of the extended period of dry weather, the flood stages at many of the rivers and streams across the state fell, with only the Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry and the Santee River near Jamestown still near flood stage. The year-to-date rainfall totals in the Upstate remained well above normal for this time of year, with more than 20 inches reported many locations. Ten to fifteen inches of rain have fallen since the beginning of the year in the Midlands, but the Central Savannah River Area is close to four inches below normal. Due to the dry conditions during the week, streamflow values dropped below normal along many rivers and streams in the Midlands and interior portions of the Lowcountry, including the Edisto River. Less than ten inches of rain have been measured in areas from the Interstate 95 corridor to the coast. These totals are four to six inches below normal for this time of year in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee, and rainfall totals for portions of coastal Charleston and Georgetown counties are running close to ten inches below normal.
Charleston Harbor (CHTS1): 71.6 degrees.
Capers Nearshore Buoy (Station 41029): 72.0 degrees.
Fripps Nearshore Buoy (Station 41033): 72.0 degrees.
