The 24-hour open pan evaporation at Sandhill reached its highest value of the year on Monday morning at 0.55 inches. Darlington and Cedar Creek recorded 101 degrees. Edisto Beach reported their hottest day of the season at 96 degrees. Thunderstorms erupted during the evening hours at Columbia Metro AP and by sunrise on Tuesday 3.29 inches of rain had fallen. The Quinby community near Florence measured 2.60 inches. Tuesday's sub-tropical conditions helped to form scattered downpours for much of the state. A CoCoRaHS volunteer observer who is 3.2 miles NNE of Georgetown measured 5.38 inches of rain. Other intense rainfalls included 3.56 inches at Socastee, 2.80 inches at Allendale and 2.13 inches at Orangeburg. The Hamilton-Owens AP in Columbia recorded 1.85 inches of rain in a lightning-filled 27 minutes. An active sea-breeze boundary became the focus of heavy rain and thunder on Wednesday. The gage at Sullivan's Island received 3.17 inches, and, just across the harbor, the Charleston peninsula received 3.11 inches. Clusters of heavy rain cells moved northwest leaving 2.90 inches at Bennettsville, 3.50 inches of rain at Newberry and 4.12 inches at Winnsboro. Thursday began cloudy and by 1:00 p.m. the temperature at both Columbia Metro AP and McEntire AP had only reached 80 degrees. Afternoon thunderstorms developed across the Lowcountry and moved north. The Quinby community received another 3.26 inches of rain. Clinton welcomed 2.11 inches as did Cedar Creek with 1.98 inches. The Thursday high temperature reported at a cloudy Rock Hill, Calhoun Falls and Longtown was only 82 degrees. More heavy rains fell over the South Carolina Mountains on Friday. Caesars Head's 3.95 inches gave them a 5-day total of 11.57 inches. Agreeable weather was observed over the weekend as more temperate air from the Atlantic waters eased into the state. Sunny, blue skies against drifting cumulus clouds were noted on Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday high temperature at Charleston AP, Conway and Newberry was a seasonal 90 degrees. Chester, Bishopville and Pelion reported 90 degrees on Sunday. Only a few isolated thundershowers interrupted the pleasant summer weather. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was one degree above normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 103 degrees at Sandhill and Columbia on July 9. The lowest official temperature reported was 61 degrees at Caesars Head on July 14. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 5.01 inches at Table Rock ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 11. The state average rainfall for the period was 1.8 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Total Total from Avg
Greer AP 1.04 18.67 -6.7
Anderson AP 1.93 19.73 -4.2
Columbia Metro AP 4.72 23.62 -0.1
Orangeburg AP 3.45 24.56 -0.9
Charlotte, NC AP 2.28 18.64 -3.7
Augusta, GA Bush AP 0.44 14.03 -10.2
Florence AP 3.31 25.20 2.8
N Myrtle Beach AP 1.98 16.81 -8.0
Charleston AP 0.13 22.72 -2.4
Savannah, GA AP 1.26 22.40 -2.3
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 83 degrees, Charleston 86 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 86 degrees.
