SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

May 8 - May 14, 2006

WEATHER SUMMARY

Nearly stationary features over the Great Lakes and New England controlled South Carolina's weather all week. On Monday at 1:00 p.m., Darlington was reporting an unseasonable 55 degrees with north winds at 9 mph. Light showers fell Wednesday and Thursday. Gusting southwesterly winds Thursday afternoon provided some warming into Friday ahead of an approaching cold front. Early morning temperatures Saturday dropped into the low 40's. Brief surface warming set the stage for severe weather on Mother's Day Sunday. Violent thunderstorms bombarded much of the eastern half South Carolina with large hail and isolated tornadoes. Hailstones of 2.75 inches in diameter fell in Marion County. Nearby in Florence County, the Town of Quinby was damaged by a tornado. Colleton County was hard hit with hail described as the size of "hen's eggs" and another twister. For most sites, the fast moving storm cells brought rainfall amounts ranging from 0.25 to 0.50 inches. By midnight on Sunday, clearing had begun over western counties. For the period, the state average temperature was six degrees below normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 85 degrees at Mullins on May 11. The lowest official temperature reported was 38 degrees at Lake Bowen on the morning of May 13. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.20 inches at Allendale ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 8. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.5 inches.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                           
                             Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation     
                        Total   Total   From Avg
         Greer           0.00   10.38     -9.1
      Columbia           0.14    8.89     -8.4 
    Orangeburg           0.43   11.63     -5.6  
 Charlotte, NC           0.03    8.48     -8.0             	
   Augusta, GA           0.49   13.47     -3.9  
      Florence           0.01   10.35     -4.9
  Myrtle Beach           0.57   11.98     -2.3
    Charleston           1.34   12.31     -3.0     
  Savannah, Ga           0.43    9.51     -5.8         






Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.  

SOIL: 4-inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 74 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal.

Ocean water temperatures near Myrtle Beach and Fripp Inlet will average from 71 to 74 degrees.