Out-of- season warmth was observed on Monday. Allendale and Barnwell reached 89 degrees and Clarks Hill and Jamestown reported 88 degrees. Dense fog on Tuesday morning reduced visibilities to "zero" at Shaw AFB in Sumter, McEntire ANG AP near Eastover and Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island. It was another warm late October day on Tuesday with Bennettsville and Kingstree recording 88 degrees. On Wednesday, Columbia and Charleston warmed to 84 degrees ahead of a boundary of showers and colder air. Overnight rainfall amounts measured on Thursday morning included 1.00 inches at Conway, 0.57 inches at Darlington and 0.43 inches at Blackville. The mountain valley location of Jocassee 8WNW was the lone site to observe a Thursday morning freeze. Although a bright and sunny day, northeast winds on Thursday kept the high temperatures at Greer and Winnsboro to just 68 degrees. Caesars Head Park personnel described the high elevation foliage as peaking below 3000 feet. Edisto Beach was Friday's warmest location at 77 degrees. Friday evening storms produced three-quarter-inch hail at Blacksburg and one-half-inch hail at Catawba as colder air crossed the southern Appalachian mountains on its way south. The October 2014 state monthly rainfall ranged from 9.60 inches at Jocassee 8WNW to 0.53 inches at Santuck and Aiken. Only a few hours into November, a record setting winter weather event began forming across the mountains and Foothills. At 4:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, snow was falling at the Greenville Downtown AP. At 7:19 a.m., the Columbia Metro AP snow observation went into the books as a "trace" and the earliest seasonal snowfall ever for the Columbia area ahead of the "trace" observed on November 9, 1913. With temperatures hovering at the freezing mark, accumulating and intense heavy snow fell over a county-sized area from Batesburg through Gilbert and into Red Bank. There were multiple and reliable public and law enforcement reports to the Columbia National Weather Service of measured amounts of between 4.0 and 4.8 inches. A nearby portion of Interstate 20 was temporarily closed and breaking limbs, under the snowfalls weight, caused widespread disruptions to electrical service. At the NWS Cooperative Observer site in Pelion, the reported 2.0 inches of snow made it the official earliest known "measurable" snow in the history of South Carolina and bested the November 4, 1930 date of 2 inches at Caesars Head. Other snow totals included Clinton with 2.8 inches, Berea 2.5 inches and Newberry, Saluda and Lexington with 2.0 inches. A rain and snow mix spread all the way to the Lowcountry. Snowflakes were seen at the Folly Beach Post Office and on the Charleston peninsula. Sleet fell in Summerville and Hampton. A wind gust of 49 mph was recorded at the Fort Sumter Range Light. Springmaid Pier instruments noted a 2:00 p.m. barometric pressure value down to 29.62 inches of mercury. Pageland received a cold rain totaling 1.81 inches and 1.56 inches of rain fell at Chesterfield. On Sunday morning, Sandy Springs reported a frosty 26 degrees. Summerville recorded their coldest morning since March 27 with 33 degrees. Afternoon temperatures on Sunday rose into the upper 50's under sunny skies and diminishing winds. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was near the long-term average.
The highest official temperature reported was 90 degrees at Hardeeville on October 27. The lowest official temperature reported was 25 degrees at Caesars Head on November 2. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.08 inches at Sandhill on November 1. The state average rainfall for the seven-day period was 0.5 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Anderson AP 0.19 29.47 -7.3
Greer AP 0.27 42.48 2.9
Charlotte, NC AP 0.77 39.38 3.9
Columbia Metro AP 0.74 34.67 -4.1
Orangeburg AP 0.56 40.71 0.1
Augusta, GA Bush AP 0.28 31.47 -6.1
Florence AP 0.61 38.10 0.7
N Myrtle Beach AP 1.30 34.87 -10.8
Charleston AP 0.27 45.12 -0.5
Savannah, GA AP 0.00 41.90 -0.9
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia (No Report), Charleston 60 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Charleston Harbor reported a water temperature of 66 degrees and Springmaid Pier at Myrtle Beach reported a surf water temperature of 64 degrees.
