SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

July 25 - July 31, 2005

WEATHER SUMMARY

High pressure, anchored over the Southeast, brought South Carolina its hottest summer weather since 2002. Light winds, coupled with nearly cloud free, 14-hour sunshine, combined to send afternoon high temperatures to 100 degrees or higher. On Tuesday, McEntire AP reported a heat index value of 121 degrees. Darlington reported 121 degrees on Wednesday and Myrtle Beach observed 123 degrees on Thursday. An approaching boundary of cooler air forced storms to develop Thursday afternoon and evening. At least 15 counties reported damaging high winds. Increased cloud cover and frequent thundershowers over the weekend helped reduce high temperatures by ten degrees or more. For the period, the state average temperature was two degrees above normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 105 degrees at Cheraw on July 27. The lowest official temperature reported was 61 degrees at Caesars Head on the morning of July 30. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall reported was 4.83 inches at the University of South Carolina in Columbia between 5:00 PM July 30 and 5:00 PM July 31. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 1.8 inches.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                           
                            Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation     
                        Total   Total   From Avg
        Greer           2.19    36.6        5.9
      Columbia           3.61    33.2        3.4  
    Orangeburg           1.93    26.3       -2.9
 Charlotte, NC           2.30    26.6        0.8	
   Augusta, GA           0.41    33.2        5.7
      Florence           3.33    27.4        0.7           
  Myrtle Beach           0.42    16.7       -8.2
    Charleston           0.78    23.9       -5.8      
  Savannah, GA  	 0.97    27.8       -1.2








Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.  

SOIL: 4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 84 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 83 degrees.