High pressure extended from the Atlantic into the Gulf of Mexico for the first part of the week, supporting hot and humid conditions with widely scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. Many of the National Weather Service (NWS) stations across the state reported minimum temperatures in the upper 60's to low 70's on Monday, July 1. The only station to record a cooler temperature was the NWS station at Jocassee, in the mountains in the Upstate. Temperatures rebounded under mostly clear skies, with maximum temperatures reaching the mid to upper 90's. CoCoRaHS observers reported isolated showers around Charleston, Clemson and Columbia. The low and high temperatures on Tuesday were like those reported on Monday, with additional isolated showers in the Upstate near Greenville. The Charleston Harbor tidal gauge observed multiple astronomical high tides, including King Tides, that would impact low-lying portions of the South Carolina coast through the weekend. The gauge recorded a maximum tide value of 7.19 ft. mean lower low water (MLLW) on Monday and a value of 7.64 ft. MLLW on Tuesday evening. At 7.5 ft., moderate flooding occurs in flood-prone coastal areas.
As the area of high pressure persisted through the middle of the week, a surface trough set up in the Midlands. Minimum temperatures across the state on Wednesday, July 3, ranged from the upper 60's to the mid-70's across the state, though a few stations had low temperatures in the upper 70's, including 79 degrees measured by the NWS station located at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station. Statewide, many daytime temperatures reached the mid to upper 90's. However, the NWS station located at the Florence Regional Airport reported 102 degrees, tying the daily record set back in 1954. The warm temperatures, sea breeze and surface trough helped develop strong afternoon thunderstorms along the coast. Downed trees were reported in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, and a 44-mph wind gust was recorded at Lake Arrowhead in Horry County. Dime-sized hail (0.75 inches) was reported in Loris, while up to golf-ball-sized hail (1.75 inches) was observed near Knightsville in Dorchester County. Thunderstorms in Horry County produced lightning causing a two-alarm fire in Bucksport and a funnel cloud near Crescent Beach.
The hot and humid trend continued into the holiday, as high and low temperatures remained up to five degrees above normal on July 4. These conditions triggered another round of scattered strong thunderstorms across portions of the Palmetto State. The NWS station at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport measured a daily rainfall total of 1.12 inches, and heavy rain was also reported in Berkeley and Sumter counties, where flooding closed some roads in those areas. The NWS Pinopolis station near Moncks Corner recorded a 52-mph wind gust, and reports of downed trees came in from Anderson, Chester, Chesterfield, Florence, Jasper, Lexington, Spartanburg and York counties. A lightning strike at the Lawshee Plantation near Sampit in Georgetown County injured twelve people and, unfortunately, one of the injured died from his injuries. The second round of King Tides for 2019 occurred during the evening hours on Wednesday and Thursday. The Charleston Harbor tidal gauge observed an astronomical high tide value of 7.30 ft. MLLW on Wednesday, and 7.41 ft. MLLW on Thursday, which caused some saltwater flooding in low-lying areas.
Heading into the weekend, low temperatures on the morning of Friday, July 5, started in the low to mid-70's and warmed up into the upper 80's to low 90's. Some locations south of the Interstate 95 corridor were cooler than normal due to rain. Thunderstorms produced strong winds, causing damage in Beaufort County, and lightning struck a building in Port Royal. In downtown Charleston, lightning struck a church near King and Vanderhorst streets, which shorted out the clock on the steeple and caused the bells to ring out continuously. The NWS station located at the Charleston International Airport recorded a daily total of 2.88 inches of rain, and CoCoRaHS observers in the Charleston area reported 24-hour rainfall totals up to six inches the following morning. The remainder of the weekend remained warm and humid. Overnight low temperatures on Saturday and Sunday ran about five degrees above normal (in the low to mid-70's), with high temperatures in the upper 80's to mid-90's. Scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms persisted, causing localized heavy rains and strong winds in areas around the state.
(Note: The highest and lowest official temperatures and highest precipitation totals provided below are based on observations from the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer network and the National Weather Service's Forecast Offices.)| Weekly* | Since Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 0.08 | 23.34 | 0.3 |
| Greer Airport | 1.83 | 27.64 | 3.4 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | Trace | 27.42 | 5.9 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.74 | 21.48 | -0.8 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.40 | 15.40 | -8.6 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.18 | 21.11 | -2.1 |
| Florence Airport | 1.18 | 18.48 | -2.5 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 2.86 | 19.32 | -4.0 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 3.22 | 18.37 | -5.0 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 2.36 | 25.08 | 1.7 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 81 degrees. Columbia: 81 degrees. Barnwell: 77 degrees. Mullins: 75 degrees.
Rainfall totals over the seven days were varied across the Palmetto State, with some localized areas of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties observing more than five inches of rain while other locations in the Upstate received less than half an inch. The sparse rainfall over much of the state caused stream levels to continue to fall and remain below critical flood thresholds through the period. Similarly, streamflow values in areas that received the heaviest rainfall totals increased and remained slightly above normal through Sunday. The year-to-date rainfall totals in the Upstate remained near to above normal for this time of year, with more than 20 inches reported at many locations and over 40 inches in some of the more mountainous areas. Fifteen to twenty inches of rain have fallen since the beginning of the year in the Midlands, and portions of the Central Savannah River Area are close to six inches below normal. Parts of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee continue to be the driest areas of the state, with between ten and fifteen inches of rain for the year in areas from the Interstate 95 corridor to the coast, with isolated totals of over 25 inches in portions of Beaufort, Charleston and Colleton counties. In areas that have missed the beneficial rainfall, the totals are six to eight inches below normal for this time of year, with portions of Georgetown and Horry counties close to twelve inches below normal.
Charleston Harbor (CHTS1): 86.0 degrees.
Capers Nearshore Buoy (Station 41029): 82.6 degrees.
Fripps Nearshore Buoy (Station 41033): 86.0 degrees.
