March 2021 Climate Summary

Public Information Statement...Updated
National Weather Service Columbia SC
240 PM Sat Apr 3 2021

...Updated to include hydrology and river stage info and
to correct lowest precipitation section...

...Climate Summary for March 2021 for the Midlands of SC
and Central Savannah River Area of GA...

...Temperatures above normal for the month at Columbia SC
and Augusta GA...

...Precipitation near normal for the month at Columbia SC
and Augusta GA...

.Augusta GA Average Temperatures...

The average temperature at Augusta Regional Bush Field for
March 2021 was 60.6 degrees or 4.7 degrees above the normal
of 55.9 degrees.

.Columbia SC Average Temperatures...

The average temperature at Columbia Metropolitan Airport for
March 2021 was 58.5 degrees or 2.9 degrees above the normal
of 55.6 degrees.

.Augusta Rainfall...

Augusta Bush Field received 4.70 inches of rainfall during
March, 0.52 inches above the normal monthly value of 4.18
inches.

.Columbia Rainfall...

Columbia Metro Airport received 3.43 inches of rainfall
during March, 0.30 inches below the normal of 3.73 inches.

Here are some of the highest monthly rainfall totals for
March 2021:

McCormick SC 2.3 W (Cocorahs)........5.23 inches.
McCormick SC 0.5 NW (Cocorahs).......4.93 in.
McCormick SC (COOP)..................4.73 in.
Batesburg SC 1.8 SSW (Cocorahs)......4.73 in.
Augusta GA Bush Field (ASOS).........4.70 in.
Silverstreet SC 5.7 NNW (Cocorahs)...4.40 in.
Swansea SC (COOP)....................4.17 in.

Here are some of the lowest monthly rainfall totals for
March 2021:

Lugoff SC 2 NE Wtr Plt (COOP)....1.36 inches.
Elliott SC (COOP)...............1.43 in.
Sumter SC 1.9 W (Cocorahs)......1.55 in.
Columbia SC 9.7 N (Cocorahs)....1.64 in.
Irmo SC 1.5 NW (Cocorahs).......1.72 in.
Irmo SC 3.2 NE (Cocorahs).......1.75 in.
Chapin SC 5.0 ESE (Cocorahs)....1.79 in.

Highest Measured Wind Gusts During Month:

Shaw AFB SC ASOS (SSC)..............63 mph on the 28th.
McEntire JNGB SC ASOS (MMT).........60 mph on the 28th.
Columbia Owens Fld SC ASOS (CUB)....58 mph on the 28th.
Columbia Metro Apt SC ASOS (CAE)....47 mph on the 28th.
Flotilla Is. Lk Murray SC (LMSS1)...46 mph on the 28th.
Orangeburg Co Apt SC ASOS (OGB).....44 mph on the 28th.
Augusta GA Bush Fld ASOS (AGS)......43 mph on the 28th.
Lk Thurmond Dam SC (CHDS1)..........38 mph on the 28th.
Lk Murray SC Intake Towers USGS.....38 mph on the 28th.
Augusta GA Daniel Fld ASOS (DNL)....37 mph on the 18th.

Lake Murray Water Temperatures (near surface) at The Towers for
March:

Warmest...60 F on the 31st.
Coolest...49 F on the 7th.

Temperature/Precipitation Records Tied or Broken during the month
of March:

Augusta...

March 31st: Daily record high of 88. This broke the previous record
high for March 31st of 87, last set in 1896.

Columbia...

No new record highs, lows, or precipitation amounts were tied or
broken.

Significant Weather Events for March...

March 25th: An isolated severe thunderstorm developed in the Upstate
SC and tracked to the ENE across the Northern Midlands of SC, where
the storm produced hail and downburst winds causing wind damage.  In
extreme northern Newberry Co north of Whitmire, trees were downed.
Across extreme northern Fairfield Co, just south of Blackstock, trees
were downed and hail up to one inch in diameter fell. Across portions
of southern Lancaster Co, trees were downed in several locations from
east of Great Falls, to between Elgin and Heath Springs.

March 28th: A band of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across the
region during the afteroon, and produced strong straight-line wind
gusts, mainly across the Central Midlands of SC. Shaw AFB near Sumter
had a peak wind gust of 63 mph.  Numerous reports of downed trees were
received. A pine tree fell through a home in Wagener. No reports of
injuries.

March 31st: An isolated severe thunderstorm produced large hail and
strong straight-line wind gusts.  Hail up to golf ball size was
reported in Aiken Co SC.

Hydrology/River Stages...

Modoc rose rapidly to above flood stage in the early morning hours of
March 17th due to locally heavy rain.

In response to runoff from heavy rain across Upstate SC and W NC,
Carolina Eastman rose to moderate flood stage and peaked on the 28th,
Columbia peaked just below flood stage on the 28th, and Gadsden peaked
just below moderate flood stage on the 29th.

Chappells peaked just above flood stage on the 29th partly due to
releases from Lake Greenwood.  Lake Wateree rose above flood stage late
in the month mainly due to precipitation and releases upstream.


SITE              RIVER          FLOOD STAGE  LOWEST/DATE  HIGHEST/DATE
                                 (FEET)       (FEET)       (FEET)
Columbia          Congaree        19.0        3.6/12th       18.6/29th
Carolina Eastman  Congaree       115.0      104.7/12th      122.6/28th
Gadsden           Congaree        15.0        6.0/12th       17.8/29th
Whitmire          Enoree          25.0       16.5/16th       22.8/27th
Orangeburg        N. Fork Edisto   8.0        6.0/12th        7.5/22nd
Cheraw            Pee Dee         30.0        9.1/12th       32.3/27th
Butler Creek      Savannah       117.5       96.4/25th      112.3/3rd
Chappells         Saluda          14.0        3.5/mult       14.4/29th
Modoc             Stevens Creek   19.0        2.9/16th       23.3/17th
Lake Wateree      Wateree        100.0       96.3/15th/25th 100.9/31st
Camden            Wateree         27.0       18.3/31st        7.6/25th


YEAR TO DATE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION STATISTICS...

COLUMBIA SC METROPOLITAN AIRPORT 2020/2021 MONTHLY AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...

         AVG HIGH/DEP   AVG LOW/DEP   AVG TEMP    NORM  DEPARTURE
Jan 2020  60.8/+4.8      41.4/+7.7      51.1      44.8    +6.3
Feb       61.7/+1.4      41.7/+4.9      51.7      48.5    +3.2
Mar       72.2/+4.0      51.9/+8.9      62.1      55.6    +6.5
Apr       76.1/-0.2      50.8/+0.4      63.5      63.4    +0.1
May       80.8/-3.0      58.7/-0.8      69.7      71.7    -2.0
Jun       87.2/-2.8      68.5/+0.3      77.9      79.1    -1.2
Jul       93.1/+0.4      73.7/+2.1      83.4      82.2    +1.2
Aug       90.1/-0.6      73.1/+2.1      81.6      80.8    +0.8
Sep       83.4/-1.8      65.7/+1.5      74.6      74.7    -0.1
Oct       79.5/+3.4      57.8/+5.7      68.7      64.1    +4.6
Nov       71.1/+3.8      48.0/+5.7      59.5      54.8    +4.8
Dec       57.2/-1.0      34.4/-0.9      45.8      46.7    -0.9
Annual    76.1/+0.6      55.5/+3.1      65.8      63.9    +1.9

Jan 2021  55.5/-0.5      35.8/+2.1      45.6      44.8    +0.8
Feb       58.7/-1.6      38.2/+1.4      48.4      48.5    -0.1
Mar       70.5/+2.3      46.5/+3.5      58.5      55.6    +2.9

AUGUSTA GA BUSH FIELD 2020/2021 MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...

         AVG HIGH/DEP   AVG LOW/DEP   AVG TEMP    NORM  DEPARTURE
Jan 2020  64.0/+6.1      41.5/+8.7     52.7       45.4    +7.3
Feb       63.8/+1.5      42.2/+6.3     53.0       49.1    +3.9
Mar       75.5/+5.6      52.1/+10.1    63.8       55.9    +7.9
Apr       77.8/+0.5      50.2/+2.1     64.0       62.7    +1.3
May       83.9/-1.1      58.0/+0.7     71.0       71.1    -0.1
Jun       89.7/-1.3      68.1/+1.9     78.9       78.6    +0.3
Jul       95.4/+2.0      72.8/+3.0     84.1       81.6    +2.5
Aug       93.2/+1.4      72.1/+2.9     82.7       80.5    +2.2
Sep       86.0/-0.7      66.2/+3.6     76.1       74.6    +1.5
Oct       82.2/+4.5      58.3/+7.3     70.3       64.4    +5.9
Nov       74.8/+5.7      48.5/+7.1     61.6       55.2    +6.4
Dec       60.1/+0.1      33.8/-0.7     46.9       47.2    -0.3
Annual    78.9/+2.0      55.3/+4.3     67.1       63.9    +3.2

Jan 2021  59.5/+1.6      36.8/+4.0     48.2       45.4    +2.8
Feb       63.1/+0.8      39.1/+3.2     51.1       49.1    +2.0
Mar       74.3/+4.4      47.0/+5.0     60.6       55.9    +4.7

COLUMBIA SC METROPOLITAN AIRPORT 2020/2021 MONTHLY/YEARLY
PRECIPITATION...

               TOTAL   NORMAL   DEPARTURE
              (INCHES)
Jan 2020       5.84     3.58    +2.26
Feb            5.48     3.61    +1.87
Mar            4.17     3.73    +0.44
Apr            2.98     2.62    +0.36
May            9.32     2.97    +6.35
Jun            4.78     4.69    +0.09
Jul            7.61     5.46    +2.15
Aug            3.74     5.26    -1.52
Sep            4.50     3.54    +0.96
Oct            0.94     3.17    -2.23
Nov            1.84     2.82    +0.98
Dec            3.49     3.20    +0.27
Annual        56.33    44.59   +11.74

Jan 2021       5.32     3.58    +1.74
Feb            6.39     3.61    +2.78
Mar            3.43     3.73    -0.30
YTD Total     15.14    10.92    +4.22


AUGUSTA GA BUSH FIELD 2020/2021 MONTHLY/YEARLY PRECIPITATION...

               TOTAL   NORMAL   DEPARTURE
              (INCHES)
Jan 2020       4.56     3.91     +0.65
Feb            7.17     3.92     +3.25
Mar            5.33     4.18     +1.15
Apr            5.54     2.84     +2.70
May            6.30     2.65     +3.65
Jun            2.32     4.72     -2.40
Jul            7.09     4.33     +2.76
Aug            6.20     4.32     +1.88
Sep            5.50     3.22     +2.28
Oct            1.23     3.27     -2.04
NOV            3.48     2.74     +0.74
DEC            3.17     3.39     -0.22
Annual        56.25    43.57    +12.68

Jan 2021       4.87     3.91     +0.96
Feb            6.59     3.92     +2.67
Mar            4.70     4.18     +0.52
YTD Total     16.16    12.01     +4.15


The 3-Month Outlook for Spring/early Summer
...(April/May/June)...

The outlook calls for a greater than 50 percent chance of above
normal temperatures with equal chance for above, below or normal
precipitation.

Go to the Climate Prediction Center web page at
www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov for more details and the latest outlooks.


ENSO (EL NINO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION)...

...La Nina Advisory...

La Nina conditions are present. There is a 60 percent chance of
transition from La Nina to ENSO-neutral during the Northern
Hemisphere Spring 2021 (April through June).

Equatorial sea surface temperatures are below average from the west-
central to eastern Pacific Ocean.

The tropical atmospheric circulation is consistent with La Nina.

Climate Outlooks and ENSO Discussions courtesy of NOAA Climate
Prediction Center...www.cpc.noaa.gov .

Note...much appreciation goes out to our NWS Cooperative Weather
Observers...CoCoRaHS (Community...Collaborative...Rain...Hail and
Snow Network) Observers...South Carolina State Climate Office...
Southeast Regional Climate Center...Richland County Emergency
Services...USGS and local weather partners for the data they provide
throughout the year. Their hard work and dedication is greatly
appreciated.

Temperature records for Columbia go back to 1887 and for Augusta
back to 1873. Precipitation records for Columbia go back to 1878
and for Augusta back to 1871.

Additional climate information, including current and archived
daily and monthly summaries, can be found on the National Weather
Service Columbia SC home page at http://www.weather.gov/cae .

$$

DCM