Calm weather conditions started on Monday, June 2, and prevailed through the middle of the week, with near-average temperatures. A weak cold front moved through the state on Monday, bringing some drier air into the area. Wildfire smoke aloft, from the Canadian wildfires, continued to produce hazy skies throughout the day, and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services issued air quality alerts for portions of the Midlands and Upstate. Hazy conditions continued on Tuesday, and temperatures were slightly above normal, as dry high pressure was centered over the region.
A return to a more active weather period began on Wednesday, with increasing moisture as an upper trough moved north from the Gulf, triggering widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms, primarily over the Coastal Plain on Wednesday afternoon. The weak low drifted northeast off the South Carolina coast on Thursday, helping trigger rainfall across the Pee Dee and Coastal Plain. Rainfall amounts were typically less than an inch, but there were areas of the Lowcountry that recorded totals between one and three inches. Thunderstorms trained over parts of Horry County, and radar estimates indicate that over five inches of rain fell, with flash flooding reported in parts of Aynor and Conway. There were reports that multiple roads were impassable in portions of Dorchester County near Ladon and Saint George and areas near Beaufort. An unofficial station near Walterboro in Colleton County recorded 2.77 inches of rain in an hour.
Severe weather was observed over the weekend, with showers and strong to severe thunderstorms moving from west to east, affecting the area throughout Saturday. The Storm Prediction Center placed most of the state under a Slight Risk (threat level 2 out of 5) for potential severe thunderstorms. Accompanying the storms were strong winds, with gusts reported between 45 and 65 mph, including a 60-mph gust recorded by an RC-Winds station in Sesquicentennial Park, in Richland County. Numerous instances of wind damage from thunderstorms were reported in Aiken, Anderson, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenwood, Greenville, Lexington, McCormick, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, and Richland counties. The NWS station at Charleston International Airport recorded a low temperature of 76 degrees, surpassing the previous daily record high minimum of 75 degrees set in 2021, while the maximum temperature of 96 degrees tied the daily record high maximum established in 1990. Severe weather persisted on Sunday, June 8. Thunderstorms produced golf-ball-sized hail in Olanta, Florence County, and additional hail ranging from pea to golf-ball-sized near Summerton, Clarendon County. Minor wind damage, attributed to strong to severe thunderstorms, was reported in Berkeley, Beaufort, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Orangeburg, and Sumter counties.
(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 | 0.25 | 18.02 | -2.7 |
| Greer Airport | 0.33 | 22.37 | 0.8 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 1.47 | 16.53 | -2.4 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.10 | 19.93 | 1.8 |
| Orangeburg 2 (COOP) | 0.79 | 22.83 | 2.4 |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 0.64 | 20.28 | 1.5 |
| Florence Airport | 0.79 | 15.40 | -1.8 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 1.76 | 13.66 | -2.8 | Charleston Air Force Base | 0.66 | 14.11 | -3.8 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 1.36 | 18.38 | 0.1 |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. s - denotes total with suspect data. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia: 76 degrees. Barnwell: 73 degrees. Mullins: 73 degrees.
Most of the state received at least half an inch of rain during the period, although parts of the Midlands saw between a quarter and half an inch of rain. Widespread totals of two to three inches were reported in sections of Beaufort, Colleton, and Jasper counties in the Lowcountry. Most areas in Horry County recorded more than three inches of rain, with some isolated locations in the county surpassing five inches. This rainfall helped to alleviate drought conditions across the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor map, released on Thursday, June 5, showed a decrease in the region experiencing abnormally dry (D0) conditions in parts of Pee Dee. Areas experiencing moderate drought (D1) conditions in the Coastal Plain improved by one category to abnormally dry conditions (D0). Additionally, there was a one-category improvement in the severe drought (D2) conditions in parts of Charleston, Georgetown, and Horry counties.
With a rainy pattern across the region over the past few periods, the 14-day average streamflow values continued to indicate normal to above-normal levels. The additional precipitation during this period caused water levels at most river gauges to rise, while remaining below the action stage. Tidal gauges reported values that were below the action stage during the period.
