Although the Monday and Tuesday calendar days were just shy of the meteorological start of summer, the mercury climbed into the middle and high 90's. At May's end, monthly rainfall totals ranged from 9.17 inches at Ft. Mill to just 0.41 inches at the Charleston AP. On June 1, the Springmaid Pier surf water temperature reached 80.1 degrees and the Clemson AP recorded a late afternoon maximum temperature of 100 degrees. A lone thunderstorm, on Wednesday afternoon, produced one-inch diameter hail near Pumpkintown. Powerful storms, most of which contained frequent cloud to ground lightning, formed during the Thursday afternoon hours and sped southward from the Piedmont into the Midlands. Winds gusted to 53 mph at Lake Murray and 52 mph at the Columbia Metro AP. The McEntire ANG AP measured 1.09 inches of rain. The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station noted a Friday high temperature of 97 degrees. Most of the Lowcountry continued to report drying soils due to the extended absence, or poor distribution, of rain. Myrtle Beach got a break from the early summertime heat as Saturday's "seabreeze" only allowed a maximum temperature of 82 degrees. On Sunday, Barnwell, Givhans and Lake Wateree recorded shade temperatures of 101 degrees. The week's second round of thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours. Taylors, located in Greenville County, was hit with hailstones measuring 1.75 inches in diameter. At 6:55 p.m., the Laurens AP observed a peak wind gust of 62 mph and Fountain Inn received 1.22 inches of rain. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was eight degrees above normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 102 degrees at Flotilla Island, Lake Murray on June 5. The lowest official temperature reported was 59 degrees at Chesnee on June 4. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.31 inches at Ballentine USGS ending at 7:00 a.m. on June 3. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.2 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Total Total from Avg
Greer 0.49 20.54 -2.2
Anderson 0.01 15.25 -6.3
Columbia 0.99 16.40 -3.6
Orangeburg 0.51 15.68 -4.3
Charlotte, NC 0.17 17.54 -1.6
Augusta, GA 0.00 16.30 -3.6
Florence 0.00 13.86 -4.0
N Myrtle Beach 0.00 15.28 -1.3
Charleston 0.00 10.19 -8.3
Savannah, GA 0.00 12.30 -5.9
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 81 degrees, Charleston 87 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 81 degrees.
