For the second week in a row, the weather pattern was dominated by a high-pressure system, leading to dry conditions and above normal temperatures across the Palmetto State through much of the work week. On the morning of Monday, April 29, many of the National Weather Service (NWS) stations reported low temperatures in the upper 50's to mid-60's, which were five to ten degrees above normal. Daytime temperatures reached the upper 70's to low 80's, with the NWS station at the Greenwood County Airport reaching 83 degrees after a morning low of 55 degrees. The ridge of high pressure continued to extend from offshore and into the area on Tuesday. Morning temperatures were warmer for this time of year, with observed values in the low to mid 60's. Some areas of the Lowcountry, Midlands and Pee Dee reported fog, with visibilities less than a quarter of a mile. However, under sunny skies, the fog quickly dissolved, and temperatures warmed rapidly across the state into the mid-to-upper 80's.
The warm weather continued into Wednesday, May 1, as the center of the surface high pressure shifted over the western Atlantic. Another morning of dense fog was reported across portions of the state as minimum temperatures started in the low-to-mid 60's, roughly ten to fifteen degrees above normal. With limited cloud cover, high temperatures soared into the lower 80's in the Upstate and at most coastal locations, and the upper 80's in the Midlands. The NWS station located at the Florence Regional Airport recorded a maximum temperature of 90 degrees, the first time since October 5, 2018, when the station reported a high temperature of 93 degrees. Conditions on Thursday and Friday were like Wednesday, with minimum and maximum temperatures running five to fifteen degrees above normal. As the next storm system approached the area, moisture increased across the state, creating cloud cover over the region. This enhanced some shower activity in parts of the Lowcountry, and CoCoRaHS observers in Beaufort and Colleton counties reported between half an inch and two inches from the storms.
The most active weather day during the period occurred on Saturday, May 4, as a weak surface low tracked up the coast ahead of a low-pressure system and associated cold front. Morning temperatures across the state were in the mid-to-upper 60's, which was up to fifteen degrees warmer than what is typically observed at the beginning of May. Temperature values ranked in the top five warmest May 4 on record for many stations, including those in Charleston, Columbia, Florence and Greenville. The NWS station at Batesburg broke the daily high minimum temperature record of 67 degrees set back in 1915, with a report of 68 degrees. High temperatures reached the mid- to upper 80's, and two other NWS stations hit their first recorded 90-degree day in 2019; the Charleston International Airport (90 degrees on October 17, 2018) and Columbia (91 degrees on October 6, 2018). The combination of daytime heating and the unstable atmosphere helped with the development of thunderstorms during Saturday afternoon. In the Upstate, strong winds produced by storms knocked down trees across portions of Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Hail was reported in Aiken County along Interstate 20, and observed in Colleton County near Walterboro. The Santee-Cooper Regional Airport recorded a 55-mph wind gust from nearby thunderstorms. Storm spotters in Chesterfield County reported funnel clouds near Chesterfield and Pageland. While there were no confirmed reports of a touchdown, the storms in the area produced strong winds and widespread power outages and downed trees were reported in the county. Nickel-sized hail was reported in Darlington, and the airport recorded a 45-mph wind gust, while the NWS station at the Florence Regional Airport measured a 55-mph gust.
The 24-hour rainfall totals ending Sunday morning ranged from nothing along the coast to three inches in the Midlands. CoCoRaHS observers in Aiken, Darlington, Lexington and Richland counties reported totals between two to three inches, with the highest totals measured near Hartsville. Breezy conditions, with frequent gusts up to 25 mph, prevailed as the cold front pushed through the state. Temperatures across the region climbed from the mid 60's to the low 80's, as dry air moved back into the area for the beginning of the next 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 | 0.86 | 17.57 | 1.8 |
| Greer Airport | 1.34 | 20.61 | 4.3 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.93 | 19.93 | 5.7 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.79 | 11.15 | -2.9 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.37 | 10.24 | -4.6 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 2.47 | 13.25 | -2.0 |
| Florence Airport | 1.33 | 12.24 | -0.3 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.22 | 10.38 | -4.1 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.02 | 6.09 | -7.7 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 2.63 | 10.26 | -3.4 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 69 degrees. Columbia: 73 degrees. Barnwell: 67 degrees. Mullins: 70 degrees.
Conditions were mainly dry during the seven days, with most of the reported rainfall falling within a 24-hour window between May 4 and 5. Many locations along the coast reported rainfall totals less than a half an inch, while a few isolated places in the Midlands received over two inches of rain. Because of the extended period of dry weather, the flood stages at many of the rivers and streams across the state continued to fall, with only the Black Creek near Quinby forecast to approach minor flood stage during the next week. 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 and over 30 inches in some of the more mountainous areas. Ten to twenty 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. With the rainfall over the weekend, some streamflow values rose to normal levels along many rivers and streams in the Midlands and interior portions of the Lowcountry, though portions of the Edisto River recorded below normal flows. 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): 76.1 degrees.
Capers Nearshore Buoy (Station 41029): 72.7 degrees.
Fripps Nearshore Buoy (Station 41033): 72.9 degrees.
The average temperatures for April 2019 were above normal across the entire state. While most of the major reporting stations had monthly rainfall totals near normal for April, isolated locations may have had more or less rainfall throughout the month.
Midlands: Columbia Metro Airport
Pee Dee: Florence Airport
Lowcountry: North Charleston Airport
Statewide
