On Monday, November 18, an upper-level trough crossed into the region, producing light showers in the morning in portions of the Midlands and Pee Dee that amounted to less than a quarter of an inch of rain. The morning low temperatures started in the upper 30s to mid-40s and only climbed into the low to mid-50s. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Rock Hill York County Airport reported a high temperature of 49 degrees for the day. Along the coast, the Charleston Harbor tide gauge recorded a value of 7.24 ft. mean lower low water (MLLW) and shallow saltwater flooding was reported in low-lying places across town. Another upper-level trough clipped the state on Tuesday, and light showers developed over the Pee Dee. CoCoRaHS observers in the area observed rainfall totals of less than a tenth of an inch.
After the passage of the system on Tuesday, high pressure moved into the area and mild and dry conditions prevailed for the remainder of the workweek. Morning low temperatures across the state ranged from the low to upper 40s, while the high temperatures got progressively warmer, reaching the upper 60s to low 70s by Friday, nearly five degrees above normal for the end of November. The NWS station at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport reported a high of 68 degrees, and the station located at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport recorded a high of 69 degrees.
By Friday evening, a cold front started its initial push into the region, which would provide unsettled weather headed into the weekend. On the morning of Saturday, November 23, the rain started to fall and CoCoRaHS observers in the Upstate reported between a half and three-quarters of an inch of rain by daybreak. Despite the all-day rain event, high temperatures rose into the upper 60s, with even a few low 70s reported in parts of the state. Some of the NWS stations reported gusty winds as the leading edge of the front moved through the state. The Charleston International Airport recorded wind gusts up to 30 mph, while gusts of 40 mph were reported at Folly Beach Pier and at Fort Sumter. Locations in the Upstate reported up to two and a half inches of rain, while many locations in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee picked up less than half an inch. Temperatures returned to normal on Sunday, as a cool high pressure settled in the area, with drier conditions to start the upcoming holiday week.
(Note: The highest and lowest official temperatures and highest precipitation totals provided below are based on observations from the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer network and the National Weather Service's Forecast Offices.)| Weekly* | Since Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 1.74 | 34.50 | -4.0 |
| Greer Airport | 2.32 | 44.75 | 2.5 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 1.34 | 47.96/td> | 10.2 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 0.70 | 32.92 | -7.9 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.29 | 25.37 | -17.4 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.27 | 42.74 | 3.2 |
| Florence Airport | 0.60 | 38.70 | -0.7 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.12 | 50.57 | 2.6 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 0.08 | 42.88 | -4.6 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.01 | 44.54 | 0.0 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 58 degrees. Columbia: 55 degrees. Barnwell: 47 degrees. Mullins: 45 degrees.
The wet pattern provided more beneficial rain across portions of the Upstate and Midlands, which continued to ease the moderate to severe drought conditions that impacted the region during September and October. Much of the rain during the period fell as a result of the cold front which pushed through the region on Friday and Saturday. Most of the National Weather Service stations and CoCoRaHS observers across the state reported measurable rainfall, with reports of two inches of rain coming out of the Upstate. However, portions of the Lowcountry and Pee Dee regions reported less than a quarter of an inch of rain over the last seven days. Year-to-date rainfall totals are roughly 75 to 90 percent of normal across much of the state, though some parts of the Midlands are lower, and areas in the mountainous Upstate are higher. The consistent rainfall over the last few weeks has brought increased streamflow values across the entire state. However, a few USGS river gauges continued to show below-normal flows on their 14-day flow product along parts of the Savannah (despite being regulated) and in portions of the Pee Dee Basin.
