A slightly cooler and drier air mass on Monday, April 28, produced clear skies and a pleasant spring day, with morning temperatures in the mid-50s and high temperatures in the upper 70s. On Monday evening, the Charleston Harbor tidal gauge recorded a maximum tide level of 7.47 ft MLLW, and shallow saltwater flooding was reported along low-lying areas of the coast. Temperatures continued to warm on Tuesday and Wednesday, as high pressure shifted off the coast, keeping most of the state dry, although moisture increased across the region through the remainder of the work week. High temperatures reached up to ten degrees above normal, with highs in the mid- to upper 80s. On Thursday, small wildfires were reported in Wando, Sangaree, and Daniel Island in Berkeley County.
While dry conditions persisted across portions of the state on Friday, severe thunderstorms developed late Friday. They produced hail ranging from nickel- to ping pong ball-size in Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, and Union counties. The National Weather Service station at Anderson County Airport recorded a 47-mph wind gust associated with thunderstorms. Minor wind damage was reported in the Enoree area of Spartanburg County. Hail up to 1.25 inches was reported in Edgefield County, where it piled up in isolated locations, and a 56-mph wind gust was recorded at Cheraw Muni Airport.
The approaching cold front brought additional thunderstorm activity late Saturday afternoon and into early Sunday morning, accompanied by severe thunderstorms. The National Weather Service Greer Office confirmed that an EF0 tornado touched down near Easley in Pickens County, with estimated winds of 80 mph, causing mainly tree damage. Thunderstorm wind damage was reported in Laurens, Greenville, and Pickens counties, with a 52-mph wind gust recorded at Liberty Pickens County Airport. The thunderstorms continued overnight as the front pushed through the state, causing minor wind damage in Kershaw and Bamberg counties, and the North Myrtle Beach Airport measured a 58-mph wind gust. Cooler and drier air filtered into the Upstate and Midlands behind the front on Sunday, which stalled near the Coastal Plain and became a focus for another round of afternoon convection.
(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 | 1.30 | 13.35 | -3.0 |
| Greer Airport | 0.74 | 15.90 | -1.1 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 1.04 | 10.93 | -3.9 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.99 | 12.01 | -1.7 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.31 | 11.31 | -4.2 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.53 | 11.51 | -3.3 |
| Florence Airport | 0.20 | 9.61 | -3.1 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 0.75 | 7.88 | -5.0 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.04 | 6.10 | -7.3 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.18 | 6.99 | -6.4 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia: 71 degrees. Barnwell: 67 degrees. Mullins: 65 degrees.
Areas east of the Interstate 95 corridor received less than a quarter of an inch of rain during the period, with only a few isolated portions of Georgetown and Horry counties reporting more than half an inch of rain. The rest of the state recorded over half an inch of rain, with parts of the northern Midlands recording over two inches, and scattered pockets of two to three inches of rain were observed in the Upstate. The U.S. Drought Monitor map, released on Thursday, May 1, showed improvement in moderate drought conditions (D1) and abnormally dry conditions (D0) in the Upstate. The severe drought (D2) conditions increased and expanded from northern Charleston County into Berkeley and Dorchester counties.
With higher amounts of rainfall were reported in the headwaters of the Broad, Saluda, and Upper Savannah river basins, the 14-day average streamflow values increased at some of the gauges along the main stems and tributaries. However, gauges in the same basins continued to record below normal values, such as the Bush River near Prosperity, the Broad River near Carlisle, and the Saluda River at Chappells. Most streamflow values at gauges in the Pee Dee Basin continued to decrease, with much below normal values recorded at the Black River at Kingstree, the Lynches River at Bishopville, and the Pee Dee at Pee Dee, and the Waccamaw River at Longs reporting low flow. The height levels at the river gauges remained below the flood stage, while tidal gauges recorded minor flooding due to the April King Tides.
