WEEKLY SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER 2025

May 19, 2025 - May 25, 2025

WEATHER SUMMARY:

A front became stationary over southern South Carolina on Monday, May 19, producing several strong to severe thunderstorms in the evening, with wind and hail as the primary threats. Minor wind damage was reported in Dorchester and Orangeburg counties. Temperatures on Monday were slightly above normal, with morning lows in the mid to upper 60s and highs in the mid to upper 80s. The warming trend continued into Tuesday, with maximum temperatures reaching the mid-90s in some locations across the Midlands. The front moved north of the area late Tuesday, triggering additional thunderstorms in the evening, and golf-ball-sized hail was reported near Turbeville in Clarendon County and near Gaffney in Cherokee County. As a strong cold front entered the state early Wednesday, thunderstorms caused minor wind damage in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties. Rainfall ending Wednesday morning ranged from 1.50 inches in the Upstate to trace amounts near the coast. Ahead of the front, temperatures remained unseasonably warm on Wednesday, with morning lows in the mid-70s at the coast and highs reaching the upper 80s to low 90s. The National Weather Service (NWS) station at the Charleston International Airport recorded a minimum temperature of 76 degrees, breaking the daily record high minimum temperature of 74 degrees set in 2022.

A cold front moved through the region early Thursday, May 22, bringing morning temperatures between five and ten degrees below normal, ranging from the upper 50s to the lower 60s. A secondary front passed through the state during the day, resulting in gusty winds, while high pressure settled over the area, leading to drier conditions. Daytime temperatures were closer to normal, with highs reaching the 80s. On Friday, dry, cool, and sunny weather prevailed. Unseasonably cool morning temperatures were noted on Saturday, dipping up to fifteen degrees below normal, with morning lows in the mid to upper 50s in some areas of the Upstate and parts of the Midlands, and high temperatures in the low to mid-70s. Clouds increased throughout Saturday, and moisture returned to the region. Heavy rain fell in portions of the Central Savannah River Area early Sunday morning, and by mid-morning, the storms were affecting parts of the Lowcountry. The Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort County recorded a wind gust of 55 mph, and quarter-sized hail was reported in the Beaufort area. The storms were accompanied by frequent lightning, striking several trees and igniting a structure fire in Beaufort, along with heavy rain that caused flooded roads.

Also, over the weekend, the tidal gauge at the Charleston Harbor recorded a water level of 7.16 ft. MLLW on Saturday evening and 7.34 ft MLLW on Sunday, resulting in minor to moderate coastal flooding in low-lying areas.

(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.)
The highest reported temperature was 96 degrees on May 20 at the NWS station near Langley in Aiken County.
The lowest reported temperature was 41 degrees at the NWS station near Jocassee in Oconee County on May 24.
The NWS station near Orangeburg in Orangeburg County reported a maximum 24-hour precipitation of 1.97 inches, ending the morning of May 25.
The CoCoRaHS station Keowee Key 1.5 WNW (SC-OC-45) reported a 24-hour precipitation total of 1.45 inches, ending on the morning of May 21.
The state average precipitation for the seven-day period was 0.7 inches.

PRECIPITATION:

 Weekly*Since Jan 1Departure
Anderson Airport0.5716.34-2.5
Greer Airport0.5520.250.5
Charlotte, NC Airport0.2513.82-3.2
Columbia Metro Airport0.0916.941.0
Orangeburg 2 (COOP)1.9718.610.5
Augusta, GA Airport1.2816.68-0.1
Florence Airport0.0312.60-2.5
North Myrtle Beach Airport0.0510.80-4.1
Charleston Air Force Base0.7111.34-4.2
Savannah, GA Airport1.0815.50-0.2
*Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data.                    
8

SOIL TEMPERATURES:

4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia: 72 degrees. Barnwell: 68 degrees. Mullins: 64 degrees.

PRECIPITATION AND RIVER STAGES:

There was additional rainfall during the period, with parts of the Savannah River Basin and Lowcountry recording more than half an inch of rain. Some isolated locations in Aiken, Bamberg, Beaufort, and Orangeburg counties received more than two inches of rain. The rainfall during the recent periods continued to help improve short-term drought conditions; however, much of the Pee Dee region continued to miss out on the beneficial rain, receiving less than a quarter of an inch of rain during this period. The U.S. Drought Monitor map, released on Thursday, May 22, showed the removal of abnormally dry (D0) conditions in parts of the Midlands and Upstate, and some improvements in the Lowcountry due to rainfall earlier in the period. Portions of Berkeley, Charleston, Georgetown, and Horry counties remained in severe drought (D2) due to the long-term dry conditions.

With additional rain falling across parts of the state, the 14-day average streamflow values continued to show normal to above-normal levels, with many rivers demonstrating significant flow improvements over the past few periods, including the Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry and the Waccamaw River at Longs, both of which had recorded streamflow values below normal for weeks. Despite additional rainfall, the water levels at most river gauges continued to recede, dropping below action stage by the end of the period. Tidal gauges reported elevated water levels, with moderate coastal flooding, due to the May King Tide cycles.

WATER TEMPERATURES:


Charleston Harbor (CHTS1): 77.4 degrees.
Capers Nearshore Buoy (Station 41029): 75.4 degrees.
Fripps Nearshore Buoy (Station 41033): 76.6 degrees.