WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2009

May 4, 2009 - May 10, 2009

WEATHER SUMMARY:

Strong storms swept through the state on Monday. Golf ball-sized hail fell in parts of Summerville and Berkeley counties, with reports of funnel clouds in both Newberry and Dorchester counties and a possible tornado near the Cross Hill community in Laurens County. At 7:11 p.m., the Marion County Airport measured winds gusting to 69 mph. Rainfall amounts exceeding two inches accompanied the towering thunderstorms. Tuesday's unstable weather included 1.75-inch diameter hail in Union County and similarly sized, large hail fell in Greenville County on Wednesday. Daily high temperatures in the mid to upper 80's were common from the foothills to the beaches. Since April began, Dillon has received 4.18 inches of rain and Long Creek 4.59 inches. A break in the unsettled weather occurred on Saturday with west winds gusting to 30 mph and a full day of sunshine pushing the mercury to nearly 90 degrees. Sunday's weather included more thunderstorm cells over parts of Sumter County and reports of large hail. Givhnas, in Dorchester County, measured close to 2.5 inches of rain in a passing rain storm. Late Sunday evening, a southward moving boundary of cooler air entered the state. The state average temperature for the period was five degrees above normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 93 degrees at Jamestown on May 9. The lowest official temperature reported was 54 degrees at Table Rock on May 8. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.65 inches at McCormick ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 5. The state average rainfall for the period was 1.5 inches.

PRECIPITATION:

                            
                             Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1   Departure     
                        Total   Total   from Avg
         Greer           1.68   18.86     -0.1
      Columbia           0.60   10.88     -6.1
    Orangeburg           2.48   13.97     -3.0
 Charlotte, NC           3.07   16.03      0.0
   Augusta, GA           1.48   14.92     -2.1
      Florence           2.17   11.35     -3.5
N Myrtle Beach           1.59    9.76     -4.1
    Charleston           0.26   10.96     -3.9
  Savannah, GA           0.71   14.45     -0.4


Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL:

4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 75 degrees, Charleston 78 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF:

South Carolina river stages were near normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 75 degrees.