Hartsville, Cedar Creek and Table Rock each reported a Monday morning low temperature of 25 degrees. Milder air was observed on Tuesday as Orangeburg, Pinopolis and the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station each reached 74 degrees. Evening showers fell over parts of the Piedmont and Upstate. By Wednesday morning, Pickens had measured 0.97 inches of rain. A southwest to northeast axis of rain continued for the next 24 hours with Gaffney receiving 1.15 inches and Gaston Shoals 0.91 inches. Although the official astronomical start of winter began in the darkness of Thursday morning, the three airports of Kingstree, Charleston and Beaufort warmed to 79 degrees on Thursday afternoon. Upslope rainfall over the state's western mountains left 1.53 inches of rain at the Jocassee Dam. The mild air remained across the coastal plain with Hemingway, Cades and Walterboro noting a Friday maximum high temperature of 75 degrees. A boundary of cooler weather eased into the state on Saturday. McCormick and Saluda recorded a Saturday high temperature of just 58 degrees. Christmas Day Sunday began with partly cloudy skies, then periods of light rain for central South Carolina and eastward to the coast. Sandy Run started the holiday at 40 degrees, reported a high temperature of just 48 degrees and measured 0.36 inches of rain. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was nine degrees above normal.
The highest official temperature reported was 81 degrees at Holly Hill, Cades, Givhans, Pinopolis and the Georgetown AP on December 22. The lowest official temperature reported was 24 degrees at Aiken on December 19. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.82 inches at Caesars Head ending at 7:00 a.m. on December 23. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.6 inches.
PRECIPITATION:
Precipitation
Weekly Jan 1 Departure
Total Total from Avg
Greer AP 1.45 44.66 -1.8
Anderson AP 1.47 34.53 -8.9
Columbia Metro AP 0.28 35.86 -8.1
Orangeburg AP 0.27 35.96 -10.2
Charlotte, NC AP 1.54 43.57 2.6
Augusta, GA Bush AP 0.32 28.59 -14.3
Florence AP 0.15 27.68 -14.6
N Myrtle Beach AP 0.18 32.76 -18.7
Charleston AP 0.31 36.72 -13.7
Savannah, GA AP 0.30 34.69 -12.7
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.
SOIL:
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 57 degrees, Charleston 61 degrees.
RIVERS AND SURF:
South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 56 degrees.
