National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
450 AM EDT WED AUG 14 2014

...JULY 2014 CLIMATE SUMMARY...

...TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO NORMAL FOR THE MONTH...
...PRECIPITATION QUITE VARIABLE FOR THE MONTH...
...ARTHUR...FIRST TROPICAL STORM OF THE SEASON DEVELOPED OFF THE
SOUTHEAST COAST.
...FLOODING EVENT IN ORANGEBURG COUNTY...
...FIRST 100 DEGREE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES AT COLUMBIA SINCE THE
SUMMER OF 2012...


MUCH LIKE JUNE, JULY WAS ANOTHER ACTIVE MONTH ACROSS THE MIDLANDS
AND CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES AVERAGED
AROUND NORMAL ACROSS THE AREA...PRECIPITATION WAS WIDELY VARIED
DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION. WE ALSO HAD OUR FIRST TROPICAL STORM OF
THE SEASON. THE ORIGINS OF ARTHUR CAN BE TRACED BACK TO LATE JUNE AS
AN AREA OF CONVECTION/LOW PRESSURE MOVED OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA
COAST. THIS FEATURE EVENTUALLY GAINED TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND
ON JULY 1ST TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE WAS UPGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM
ARTHUR. THE STORM REMAINED EAST OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST BUT
STRENGTHENED INTO A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE WITH WINDS OF 100 MPH WHEN
IT STRUCK THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE EVENING
OF THE 3RD.

THERE WERE MULTIPLE SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS...INCLUDING SOME VERY
IMPRESSIVE RAINFALL TOTALS AND FLOODING IN AND AROUND THE CITY OF
ORANGEBURG.

ON JULY THE 8TH...THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO 100 DEGREES AT COLUMBIA
METRO AIRPORT. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS NOT A RECORD FOR THE DATE...IT WAS
THE FIRST TIME SINCE JULY 27TH, 2012 THAT THE CENTURY MARK HAS BEEN
REACHED.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD WAS 80.3
DEGREES OR 1.3 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL OF 80.3 DEGREES. THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE AT COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT WAS 83.0 DEGREES OR 0.8
DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 82.2 DEGREES.

RAINFALL AVERAGED 2 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS THE MIDLANDS AND CENTRAL
SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF GEORGIA DURING JULY. SOME AREAS SUCH AS
SALUDA AND AIKEN COUNTIES RECEIVED AROUND 1 INCH OF RAIN OR LESS.
THIS IS ONLY 10 TO 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. THERE WERE
OTHER AREAS THAT RECEIVED IMPRESSIVE RAINFALL AMOUNTS. PORTION OF
LANCASTER...ORANGEBURG AND BURKE COUNTIES RECEIVED OVER 8 INCHES OF
RAIN. THIS IS UP TO 300 PERCENT ABOVE NORMAL IN SOME OF THOSE
LOCATIONS.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST COCORAHS RAINFALL REPORTS FOR JULY:
...COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE RAIN HAIL AND SNOW
NETWORK......WWW.COCORAHS.ORG

SC-OR-9  ORANGEBURG 0.3 ENE............10.00 INCHES
SC-AK-27 WILLISTON 4.3 NNW..............8.59 INCHES
SC-OR-11 NEESES 7.0 SE..................7.58 INCHES
SC-LX-7  OAK GROVE 1.4 N................7.37 INCHES
SC-LN-2  FORT MILL 3.5 ENE..............7.31 INCHES


HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST NWS COOP OBSERVER REPORTS FOR JULY:

ORBS1 ORANGEBURG 2..............9.80 INCHES
BAMS1 BAMBERG...................6.60 INCHES
CTFS1 CHESTERFIELD 3E...........5.32 INCHES
CEWS1 CHERAW WATER PLANT........5.19 INCHES
PLNS1 PELION 4NW................4.66 INCHES


HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST RAINFALL TOTALS FROM THE RCWINDS
MESONET IN RICHLAND COUNTY:

GILLS CREEK.........5.87 INCHES
SPRINGHILL..........5.04 INCHES
PUBLIC WORKS........4.41 INCHES
EASTOVER............4.29 INCHES
MLK PARK............4.06 INCHES


HIGHEST WIND GUSTS AT EACH ASOS LOCATION DURING THE MONTH:

AUGUSTA DANIEL FIELD (DNL)........40 MPH ON THE 9TH
AUGUSTA BUSH FIELD (AGS)..........37 MPH ON THE 9TH
HAMILTON OWENS AIRPORT (CUB)......33 MPH ON THE 28TH
ORANGEBURG COUNTY AIRPORT (OGB)...33 MPH ON THE 3RD
COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT (CAE)......31 MPH ON THE 31ST


HIGHEST WIND GUSTS AT EACH LAKE OBSERVING SITE DURING THE MONTH:

WATEREE DAM (WATS1).....................37 MPH ON THE 15TH
LAKE MURRAY TOWERS (IRMS1)..............34 MPH ON THE 3RD
LAKE MURRAY FLOTILLA ISLAND (LMFS1).....33 MPH ON THE 15TH
LAKE THURMOND DAM (CHDS1)...............32 MPH ON THE 3RD AND 9TH


RECORDS TIED OR BROKEN DURING THE MONTH AT AUGUSTA:
ON THE 17TH...SET A NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE DATE. THE LOW
FOR THE MORNING WAS 60 DEGREES...THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 61 DEGREES
SET IN 1967.

ON THE 18TH...TIED THE RECORD LOW FOR THE DATE OF 63 DEGREES SET IN
2001...2000 AND 1987.

RECORDS TIED OR BROKEN DURING THE MONTH AT COLUMBIA:
ON THE 14TH...TIED THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 76 DEGREES
SET IN 1937...1932...1919 AND 1889.

ON THE 28TH...SET A NEW RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE
DATE. THE LOW FOR THE MORNING WAS 80 DEGREES...THE PREVIOUS RECORD
WAS 78 DEGREES IN 1936.

OF NOTE:
THE LAST TIME THE LOW TEMPERATURE REMAINED IN THE 80S AT THE
COLUMBIA AIRPORT WAS AUGUST 27TH OF 2011...WHEN THE LOW ALSO ONLY
FELL TO 80 DEGREES.

THE WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED AT THE COLUMBIA HAS BEEN
82 DEGREES...WHICH WAS SET ON AUGUST 4TH OF 2011...AND ON JUNE 30TH
OF 1936.


EVENTS FOR JULY 2014:

JULY 3RD...A COUPLE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED FROM LINCOLN
COUNTY EASTWARD INTO MCCORMICK COUNTY. THE STRONG WINDS DOWNED TREES
AND POWER LINES.

JULY 9TH...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS DOWNED
TREES AND POWER LINES. THE AREA HIT HARDEST WAS ACROSS LANCASTER AND
FAIRFIELD COUNTIES. SEVERAL TREES WERE DOWNED DUE TO A MICROBURST
NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF BLACKSTOCK.

JULY 14TH...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ALONG A
PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH ACROSS THE MIDLANDS. ORANGEBURG COUNTY WAS THE
HARDEST HIT. THE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED STRAIGHT LINE
WIND DAMAGE THAT TOOK DOWN NUMEROUS TREES FOR APPROXIMATELY 100
YARDS.

JULY 15TH...A COUPLE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BROUGHT DOWN SOME
LARGE LIMBS AND A FEW TREES ACROSS THE MIDLANDS.

JULY 20TH...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL ACROSS PORTION OF RICHLAND COUNTY. THE RCWINDS SITE AT
GILLS CREEK REPORTED AT TOTAL OF 3.39 INCHES OF RAIN...1.53 INCHES
OF THAT RAIN OCCURRED IN A 15 MINUTE PERIOD. HEAVY RAIN ALSO
OCCURRED AT THE HEADWATERS OF ROCKY BRANCH CREEK AT MLK PARK WHERE
1.38 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THE HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCED MINOR FLOODING
ALONG ROCKY BRANCH CREEK. THE GAGE CRESTED AT 7.49 FEET AT PICKENS
STREET...FLOOD STAGE IS 7.2 FEET. THE GAGE CRESTED NEAR 7.0 FEET AT
WHALEY AND MAIN STREETS...FLOOD STAGE IS 7.2 FEET. THERE WERE
REPORTS OF STREET FLOODING IN THE CITY OF FORECAST ACRES.

JULY 21ST AND 22ND...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED TREMENDOUS
RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS PORTIONS OF ORANGEBURG AND CALHOUN COUNTIES.
THE HEAVIEST RAIN FELL BETWEEN THE TOWN OF CORDOVA AND THE CITY OF
ORANGEBURG. THERE WERE 2 WATER RESCUES IN THE CITY OF ORANGEBURG AS
MOTORIST HAD TO BE RESCUED FROM THEIR VEHICLE. THE EMERGENCY MANAGER
REPORTED FLOODING DAMAGE TO THE COUNTY LIBRARY AND COURTHOUSE. THE
EM ALSO REPORTED THAT NUMEROUS ROADS ACROSS THE COUNTY WERE FLOODED.
THERE WAS AN UNOFFICIAL REPORT OF 10.55 INCHES OF RAIN IN CORDOVA.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE RAINFALL REPORTS FROM THE EVENT:

CORDOVA............................10.55 INCHES
ORBS1 - STREAM GAGE/PRECIP GAGE.....8.91 INCHES
(AT THE STREAM PRECIP GAGE...3.73 INCHES OF RAIN FELL BETWEEN 6 PM
AND 7 PM EDT)
ORBS1 - WATER PLANT.................8.07 INCHES
KOGB - ORANGEBURG COUNTY AIRPORT....4.23 INCHES
(AT THE ORANGEBURG COUNTY AIRPORT 2.06 INCHES FELL IN ONE HOUR)

THE NORTH FORK OF THE EDISTO RIVER AT ORANGEBURG CRESTED AT 7.53
FEET. FLOOD STAGE IS 8.0 FEET. AT 4 PM JULY 21ST THE STREAM LEVEL
WAS 2.70 FEET WITH A FLOW OF 195 CUBIC FEET/SEC. AT 1 AM JULY 22ND
THE STREAM CRESTED AT 7.53 FEET WITH A FLOW OF 1193 CUBIC FEET/SEC.
THIS ALL OCCURRED IN JUST 9 HOURS. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 4.83 FEET
IN HEIGHT AND AN ESTIMATED 500 PERCENT INCREASE IN WATER VOLUME.



YEAR TO DATE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION STATISTICS...

COLUMBIA SC METROPOLITAN AIRPORT 2013/2014 MONTHLY AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...

          AVG HIGH/DEP   AVG LOW/DEP   AVG TEMP   NORM  DEPARTURE
JAN 2013  64.0/+8.0      41.1/+7.4      52.5      44.8    +7.7
FEB       59.2/-1.1      36.2/-0.6      47.7      48.5    -0.8
MAR       63.5/-4.7      38.5/-4.5      51.0      55.6    -4.6
APR       76.7/+0.4      53.4/+3.0      65.0      63.4    +1.6
MAY       81.4/-2.4      59.2/-0.3      70.3      71.7    -1.4
JUN       88.1/-1.9      70.1/+1.9      79.1      79.1     0.0
JUL       88.4/-4.3      72.7/+1.1      80.5      82.2    -1.7
AUG       87.6/-3.1      71.0/ 0.0      79.3      80.8    -1.5
SEP       86.9/+1.7      65.5/+0.3      76.2      74.7    +1.5
OCT       77.9/+1.8      54.8/+2.7      66.3      64.1    +2.2
NOV       65.0/-2.3      40.5/-1.8      52.7      54.8    -2.1
DEC       62.5/+4.3      40.6/+5.3      51.5      46.7    +4.8
ANNUAL    75.1/-0.4      53.6/+1.2      64.4      63.9    +0.5

JAN 2014  52.4/-3.6      28.1/-5.6      40.3      44.8    -4.5
FEB       60.3/ 0.0      37.4/+0.6      48.9      48.5    +0.4
MAR       65.2/-3.0      39.1/-3.9      52.2      55.6    -3.4
APR       78.3/+2.0      52.8/+2.4      65.6      63.4    +2.2
MAY       86.4/+2.6      62.2/+2.7      74.3      71.7    +2.6
JUN       92.4/+2.4      71.6/+3.4      82.0      79.1    +2.9
JUL       92.7/ 0.0      73.4/+1.8      83.0      82.2    +0.8

AUGUSTA GA BUSH FIELD 2013/2014 MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND
DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...

          AVG HIGH/DEP   AVG LOW/DEP   AVG TEMP   NORM  DEPARTURE
JAN 2013  65.4/+7.5      39.4/+6.6     52.4       45.4    +7.0
FEB       59.8/-2.5      35.5/-0.4     47.6       49.1    -1.5
MAR       63.8/-6.1      37.9/-4.1     50.8       55.9    -5.1
APR       76.2/-1.1      48.5/+0.4     62.4       62.7    -0.3
MAY       81.0/-4.0      55.8/-1.5     68.4       71.1    -2.7
JUN       88.2/-2.8      67.4/+1.2     77.8       78.6    -0.8
JUL       87.9/-5.5      71.0/+1.2     79.5       81.6    -2.1
AUG       87.7/-4.1      68.6/-0.7     78.2       80.5    -2.3
SEP       87.2/+0.5      61.8/-0.8     74.5       74.6    -0.1
OCT       78.4/+0.7      51.9/+0.9     65.2       64.4    +0.8
NOV       65.9/-3.2      38.7/-2.7     52.3       55.2    -2.9
DEC       62.5/+2.5      38.0/+3.5     50.3       47.2    +3.1
ANNUAL    75.3/-1.6      51.2/+0.2     63.3       63.9    -0.6

JAN 2014  52.7/-5.2      26.3/-6.5     39.5       45.4    -5.9
FEB       61.9/-2.5      34.9/ 0.0     48.4       49.1    -0.7
MAR       66.1/-3.8      37.6/-4.4     51.9       55.9    -4.0
APR       77.3/ 0.0      49.1/+1.0     63.2       62.7    +0.5
MAY       85.3/+0.3      58.0/+0.7     71.6       71.7    +0.5
JUN       90.7/-0.3      67.2/+1.0     78.9       78.6    +0.3
JUL       92.2/-1.2      68.4/-1.4     80.3       81.6    -1.3

COLUMBIA SC METROPOLITAN AIRPORT 2013/2014 MONTHLY PRECIPITATION...

               TOTAL   NORMAL   DEPARTURE
              (INCHES)
JAN 2013       1.21     3.58    -2.37
FEB            5.51     3.61    +1.90
MAR            3.65     3.73    -0.08
APR            4.63     2.62    +2.01
MAY            3.62     2.97    +0.65
JUN            6.17     4.69    +1.48
JUL           11.21     5.46    +5.75
AUG            7.51     5.26    +2.25
SEP            2.04     3.54    -1.50
OCT            1.98     3.17    -1.19
NOV            2.06     2.74    -0.68
DEC            5.88     3.22    +2.66
ANNUAL        55.47    44.59   +10.88

JAN 2014       3.40     3.58    -0.18
FEB            2.92     3.61    -0.69
MAR            3.93     3.73    +0.20
APR            2.99     2.62    +0.37
MAY            5.72     2.97    +2.75
JUN            1.41     4.69    -3.28
JUL            2.83     5.46    -2.63

AUGUSTA GA BUSH FIELD 2013/2014 MONTHLY PRECIPITATION...

               TOTAL   NORMAL   DEPARTURE
              (INCHES)
JAN 2013       0.60     3.91     -3.31
FEB            9.40     3.92     +5.48
MAR            3.11     4.18     -1.07
APR            4.23     2.84     +1.39
MAY            2.26     2.65     -0.39
JUN           10.83     4.72     +6.11
JUL            9.05     4.33     +4.72
AUG            5.84     4.32     +1.52
SEP            1.12     3.22     -2.10
OCT            0.36     3.27     -2.91
NOV            1.82     2.82     -1.00
DEC            6.90     3.39     +3.51
ANNUAL        55.54    43.57    +11.97

JAN 2014       2.48     3.91     -1.43
FEB            3.73     3.92     -0.19
MAR            2.56     4.18     -1.62
APR            4.59     2.84     +1.75
MAY            5.50     2.65     +2.85
JUN            2.27     4.72     -2.45
JUL            5.53     4.33     +1.20


THE OUTLOOK FOR AUGUST...

THE FORECAST CALLS FOR EQUAL CHANCES THAT TEMPERATURES AND
PRECIPITATION WILL EITHER BE BELOW...ABOVE OR NEAR NORMAL.

THE 3-MONTH OUTLOOK FOR THE REMAINDER OF SUMMER INTO EALY FALL
(AUG/SEP/OCT)...

THE FORECAST CALLS FOR A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURE...AND EQUAL CHANCES THAT PRECIPITATION WILL EITHER BE
BELOW...ABOVE OR NEAR NORMAL FOR THE 3-MONTH PERIOD.

ENSO (EL NINO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION)...
...A EL NINO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE LATE SUMMER OR EARLY
FALL...
AN EL NINO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF EL NINO CONDITIONS WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

AT THIS TIME...ENSO NEUTRAL CONDITIONS CONTINUE ACROSS THE
EQUATORIAL PACIFIC OCEAN. SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE AVERAGE
ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND JUST WEST OF THE
DATE LINE. THE CHANCES OF EL NINO HAS DECREASED TO ABOUT 65 PERCENT
DURING THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE FALL AND EARLY WINTER.

CLIMATE OUTLOOKS AND ENSO DISCUSSIONS COURTESY 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 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 .

$$


VAUGHAN