High pressure over the Ohio and Tennessee valleys was in control of the weather at the start of the week. The drier air mass led to lower dewpoints in the 50’s and 60’s across the state, and some below normal minimum temperatures. The National Weather Service (NWS) stations in York, Chesnee, and Table Rock reported low temperatures of 57 degrees the morning of Monday, July 9. Quiet conditions continued into Tuesday, July 10, with another cool morning as the dry air mass remained in control. The NWS station in Andrews set a new record for low temperature for the date of 59 degrees, replacing the old record of 60 degrees in 2006. Tropical Storm Chris remained well offshore, posing no direct threat to the South Carolina coast. The high astronomical tides, or King Tide, for the month began and lasted for the next seven days. A maximum tide level of 7.17 ft (mean lower low water - MLLW) was observed at the Charleston Harbor tide gauge on the evening of July 10, and some coastal flooding and saltwater intrusion onto roads were seen in downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and on James Island.
The dry weather persisted as high pressure dominated the weather pattern with warmer temperatures on July 11. The CoCoRaHS station Lexington 1.6 NWN (SC-LX-5) noted that “Above normal temperatures and little rainfall over the past two weeks have produced dry conditions. Some annual/perennial plants look stressed and lawns not irrigated looking dry. Fields of corn looking stressed.” Multiple NWS stations reported maximum temperatures at or above 100 degrees, including 103 degrees reported at the Columbia Metro Airport, which broke the previous record of 102 back in 1993. On Thursday, July 12, a slow-moving frontal boundary over the Midlands increased the chances of rain and afternoon thunderstorms. Lightning struck a field where a training exercise was in progress at Fort Jackson in Richland County around 4:00 p.m. EDT. Fifteen soldiers were transported to the hospital as a precaution and released. In Greenwood County, multiple reports of trees down and some power outages came from Verdery and Greenwood.
By Friday, the frontal boundary stalled across the state with high-pressure building in behind the front. The NWS station in Darlington recorded a low temperature of 61 degrees, and the CoCoRaHS station in Simpsonville (SC-GV-94) reported a 24-hour rainfall total the morning of July 13 of 2.66 inches. An upper-level ridge set up over the Southeast on Saturday, July 14. A weak trough at the surface provided enough moisture and instability for a few showers and thunderstorms to develop during the afternoon, especially in the Upstate. Around 10:30 p.m. EDT that evening, a King Tide value of 7.61 ft. MLLW was observed at the Charleston Harbor tide gauge, and saltwater intrusion in Charleston and the surrounding area caused some roads to be closed. High temperatures in the Midlands climbed to the mid-90’s on Sunday, July 15, ahead of an approaching cold front.
(Note: The highest and lowest official temperatures and highest precipitation totals provided below are based on observations from the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer network and the National Weather Service's Forecast Offices.)
The highest official temperature reported was 105 degrees at Columbia USC Campus on July 11.
The lowest official temperature reported was 51 degrees at Jocassee July 10.
The heaviest official 24-hour precipitation reported was 2.03 inches at the National Weather Service Cooperative station in Spartanburg ending at 5:00 p.m. on July 13.
The state average precipitation for the seven-day period was 0.2 inches.
| Weekly* | Since Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 0.49 | 31.83 | 7.9 |
| Greer Airport | 0.04 | 30.03 | 4.6 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.71 | 22.03 | -0.3 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | Trace | 16.66 | -7.0 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.02 | 20.78 | -4.7 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.10 | 24.63 | 0.4 |
| Florence Airport | 0.01 | 23.25 | 0.9 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.12 | 23.87 | -0.9 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.25 | 27.49 | 2.4 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.14 | 18.07 | -6.7 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 79 degrees. Columbia: 85 degrees. Barnwell: 77 degrees. Mullins: 71 degrees.
The lack of widespread rainfall over the state led to the decrease in stream flows in the Low Country, Midlands and Pee Dee regions, including the Edisto River near Orangeburg, Black Creek at Hartsville and McBee, and the Little Pee Dee near Galivants Ferry which reported below normal streamflows. Some rivers in the Upstate, such as the Saluda River near Greenville, were running at normal discharge levels.
Charleston Harbor (CHTS1): 85.1 degrees.
Capers Nearshore Buoy (Station 41029): 83.3 degrees.
Fripps Nearshore Buoy (Station 41033): 84.2 degrees.
