SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

August 18 - 24, 2003

WEATHER SUMMARY

Early morning fog was widespread on Monday before temperatures climbed to nearly 90 degrees. Late day thunderstorms produced one inch hail in Charleston and high winds in Calhoun County. The heaviest of rains fell along the southern coast. For most sites during the work week it was sunny and seasonal with only widely scattered showers. Convective thunderstorms on Thursday were limited to coastal counties. Isolated storms on Friday caused light wind damage across Spartanburg County. A weak cold front approached over the weekend but stalled Sunday leaving a blanket of clouds and mild temperatures for inland sites and scattered showers along the southern coast. The average statewide temperature for the period was near normal.

The highest temperature reported was 94 degrees at Clinton on August 23. The lowest temperature was 62 degrees at Caesars Head on the morning of August 18. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.42" at Beaufort ending at 7:00 a.m. on August 19. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 0.5".

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

                Precipitation                     Temperature
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation      Average  Average
                        Total   Total   From Avg      Maximum  Minimum  Average
         Greer           1.04    52.7       18.8           87       70       79 
      Columbia           0.00    44.8       10.7           89       72       80 
   Augusta, GA           0.86    45.5       14.5           90       71       80 
        Cheraw           0.02    36.1        3.6           89       71       80 
       Chester           0.00    43.8       12.0           89       68       79 
      Johnston           0.00    39.8        6.1           91       69       80 
        Sumter           0.04    37.2        3.4           88       72       80
       Clemson           0.63    48.7       12.6           88       71       80
      Florence           0.27    35.3        5.0           88       72       80
N Myrtle Beach           0.25    40.9       11.7           86       72       79 
     Allendale           0.65    39.5        6.5           91       71       81 
    Charleston           0.82    39.3        4.4           89       74       82 
      Beaufort           2.87    44.3       10.2           90       76       83 


             

Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the 24-hour period ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL

4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 82 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF

South Carolina river stages were near normal. Surf temperatures at
Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 80 degrees.