SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

June 28 - July 4, 2004

WEATHER SUMMARY

A nearly stationary trough axis, positioned west to east through central South Carolina, made for another wet and stormy week. The humid airmass combined with the late day heating to produce torrential downpours and localized flooding. Widespread thunderstorms on Wednesday dropped large hail in Aiken which covered the ground. Damaging winds were observed from the Midlands eastward to the coast. Intense lightning was blamed on a water craft fatality in Charleston County. Clarendon County received unofficial radar estimates of five inch rains. At month's end, west central counties had measured an average of one foot of rain. On Thursday, a water spout formed over the Charleston Harbor, near the Custom House, sending startled visitors hurrying for shelter. The holiday weekend saw increasing hot, humid weather and widely scattered evening thunderstorms. For the period, the state average temperature was two degrees below normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 95 degrees at Darlington and Jamestown on July 4. The lowest official temperature reported was 57 degrees at Caesars Head on the morning of June 30. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.82" at Edgefield ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 1. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 1.9".

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                          Precipitation                 Temperature
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation      Average  Average
                        Total   Total   From Avg      Maximum  Minimum  Average
         Greer           0.72    18.0       -8.6           83       68       76 
      Columbia           0.78    22.6       -2.6           86       72       75 
   Augusta, GA           3.77    23.6       -0.5           87       70       78 
        Cheraw*          1.06    14.0      -12.1           86       68       77 
       Chester*          0.59    12.0      -13.3           84       68       76 
      Johnston*          2.43    22.0       -4.0           86       68       77 
        Sumter*          7.03    21.2       -4.0           85       70       77 
       Clemson*          1.96    16.3      -12.5           81       67       74 
      Florence           1.20    13.8       -8.5           87       71       79 
  Myrtle Beach           2.89    17.5       -3.1           84       71       78 
     Allendale*          2.53    22.8       -1.1           88       70       79 
    Charleston           1.12    17.0       -7.0           89       72       80 
      Beaufort*          0.37    15.3       -8.1           88       74       81 

* Rainfall totals ending Sunday 7:00 a.m.  All others ending midnight.

SOIL

4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 84 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF

South Carolina river stages were below normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach
and Savannah will average around 83 degrees.