A stationary front draped across the northern Midlands and Pee Dee on Monday morning caused heavy, patchy fog and low ceilings. Airports in Newberry and Fairfield Counties reported quarter-mile visibilities. Eventually, the frontal boundary moved north into North Carolina as a warm front as upper-level ridging strengthened over the state for a very warm week.
With upper-level ridging in place aloft and a westerly wind component, high temperatures easily reached the upper 90's. On Wednesday, Columbia Metro Airport and the Charleston Air Force Base both reached 98 degrees. The Barnwell 5ENE COOP site set Wednesday's and the week's high temperature of 100 degrees.
The upper-level ridging and compressional heating also suppressed afternoon convection. Many sites only recorded the week's total rainfall amounts of a few hundredths of an inch. Airports at Moncks Corner, Cheraw, Camden, and Orangeburg reported receiving only 0.02 inches during the week. The week's highest 24-hour rainfall amount was 3.73 inches at the North Myrtle Beach Airport on Thursday.
Ridging persisted through the weekend keeping temperatures high and rainfall amounts low. Saturday's high temperature was 98 degrees at the Barnwell 5ENE COOP and the Cheraw 2 COOP sites, and the North Myrtle Beach Airport received another 2.18 inches of rain for the week. Sunday's high temperature was 97 degrees at USC in Columbia, and the Greenwood County Airport reported 1.06 inches of rain from an isolated thunderstorm.
(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 100 degrees at Barnwell on August 16.
The lowest official temperature reported was 59 degrees at Caesars Head on August 14.
The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.73 inches at the North Myrtle Beach Airport on August 17.
The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 1.0 inches.
| Weekly* | Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 0.19 | 36.14 | 8.0 |
| Greer Airport | 0.68 | 37.00 | 6.0 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 2.05 | 34.38 | 7.2 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.25 | 36.52 | 6.3 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.02 | 27.90 | -3.7 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.61 | 34.08 | 4.7 |
| Florence Airport | 0.01 | 29.61 | 0.9 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 6.38 | 28.92 | -3.5 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.05 | 34.86 | 2.0 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.00 | 40.06 | 8.0 |
| *Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton 80 degrees. Columbia 84 degrees. Barnwell 77 degrees. Mullins 76 degrees
Most South Carolina river stages were normal.
Charleston Harbor water temperature: 87 degrees.
Capers Nearshore Buoy (Station 41029): 88 degrees.
