WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2011

August 8, 2011 - August 14, 2011

WEATHER SUMMARY:

Although the Monday through Thursday weather was mostly sunny and with scattered thundershowers, it was the late-summer heat that got the most attention. On Monday afternoon, Clemson, Great Falls, Greenwood, Aiken and Saluda all recorded 101 degrees. Gaffney received 1.29 inches of rain in a localized thunderstorm. Both Columbia airports reached 100 degrees on Tuesday. Table Rock, Chesnee and Pickens cooled to 66 degrees on Wednesday morning as some drier air eased into the Upstate. Storms began forming on Thursday with flash flooding rainfalls occurring late in the evening for parts of the Midlands. The Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP measured a rain event total of 3.46 inches while a NWS tipping- bucket gage at the Columbia USC Campus recorded rainfall rates of up to 2.23 inches per hour. Hartsville reported 2.08 inches and the McEntire ANG AP received 1.97 inches. The high water vapor content of the atmosphere and buoyancy brought on by intense surface heating produced pockets of heavy rainfall through the weekend. Manning recorded 2.12 inches for the 24-hours ending on Saturday morning and the Charleston AP totaled 4.91 inches of rain in the 48-hours of Friday and Saturday. Storms over Bennettsville left 4.06 inches and at Longtown, 3.43 inches fell. A frontal boundary moved eastward through the state on Sunday bringing showers and a welcomed drop in temperatures. Newberry, Shaw AFB and Orangeburg noted Sunday afternoon high temperatures of 88 degrees. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was three degrees above normal.

The highest official temperature reported was 104 degrees at Dillon and Pinopolis on August 8. The lowest official temperature reported was 61 degrees at Jocassee on August 10. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 4.26 inches at the Columbia USC Campus ending at 7:00 a.m. on August 12. The state average rainfall for the period was 1.4 inches.

PRECIPITATION:

                            Precipitation                                                      
                       Weekly   Jan 1   Departure     
                        Total   Total    from Avg
         Greer           0.10   27.95     -2.2
      Anderson           0.69   21.19     -6.3
      Columbia           1.33   26.38     -2.8
    Orangeburg           1.90   26.62     -3.9
 Charlotte, NC           2.59   29.13      2.8
   Augusta, GA           1.03   23.49     -5.1
      Florence           2.01   20.90     -6.8
N Myrtle Beach           0.06   19.55    -11.3
    Charleston           5.20   27.91     -3.6
  Savannah, GA           1.57   25.35     -5.5

Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.

SOIL:

4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 82 degrees, Charleston 84 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF:

South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 84 degrees.