WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2011

August 1, 2011 - August 7, 2011

WEATHER SUMMARY:

Following overnight rains and a frontal passage, high temperatures on Monday fell 8 to 10 degrees over the previous day. Shaw AFB in Sumter and McEntire ANG in Eastover both reported Monday maximum temperatures of 91 degrees. Although within a drier airmass, the heat returned on Tuesday. Clinton and Pinopolis Dam reached 102 degrees. At 6:00 p.m., the Anderson AP reported 100 degrees with just 19 percent relative humidity. On Wednesday, the Clemson AP, Clinton and the Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP each recorded 104 degrees. The Charleston AP set a date record high "minimum" temperature of 83 degrees on Thursday morning. Barnwell's 103 degrees on Thursday afternoon was the nineteenth time this season they had seen triple-digit heat. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms brought some relief to a few locations in the Foothills and eastern Piedmont. Chesnee received 1.19 inches and Gaffney received 0.75 inches. Thunderstorm activity increased on Friday. A National Weather Service spotter measured 3.70 inches at Holly Hill. Other heavy rainfall totals included 2.88 inches at Newberry, 2.73 inches at Fishing Creek Dam on the Catawba River, and 2.29 inches at Rimini. Another torrential downpour was observed Saturday afternoon near the Archdale Community in Dorchester County by a Charleston NWS employee, who measured 6.07 inches of rain. Saturday's clouds and showers were part of the "near normal" high temperature readings of 90 degrees at McClellanville, Mullins and Kingstree. Mostly sunny weather on Sunday pushed the mercury to 102 degrees at Aiken. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was five degrees above normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 105 degrees at the Columbia USC Campus on August 3. The lowest official temperature reported was 62 degrees at Table Rock on August 3. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.92 inches at Effingham ending at 7:00 a.m. on August 1. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.9 inches.

PRECIPITATION:

            
                             Precipitation                                                     
                       Weekly   Jan 1   Departure     
                        Total   Total    from Avg
         Greer           0.08   27.85     -1.3*
      Anderson           0.32   20.50     -6.1*
      Columbia           0.60   25.05     -2.9*
    Orangeburg           1.54   24.72     -4.5*
 Charlotte, NC           2.54   26.54      1.2*
   Augusta, GA           0.13   22.46     -5.1*
      Florence           0.12   18.89     -7.6*
N Myrtle Beach           0.39   19.49     -9.9*
    Charleston           1.21   22.71     -7.3*
  Savannah, GA           0.39   23.78     -5.5*

* Yearly rainfall departures beginning January 1 and recalculated August 1 
with updated NCDC 1981-2010 normals.
                                                
Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL:

4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 84 degrees, Charleston 87 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF:

South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 83 degrees.