May 2018 Climate Summary

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
247 PM EDT Fri Jun 15 2018

...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...


...May 2018 Climate Summary...

...3rd Wettest May on Record at Augusta...
...4th Warmest May on Record at Columbia...
...Flash Flooding in Orangeburg on the 18th...
...Sub-Tropical Storm Alberto Effects the Region...
...EF-0 Tornado Spawned by Alberto...
...River Flooding Due to Alberto...


May was generally very quiet across the Midlands and Central
Savannah River Area. There was very little severe weather for the
month. However, the second half of the month saw an increase in
afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. On May 25th,
Sub-Tropical Storm Alberto formed in the northwestern Caribbean
Sea. Alberto made landfall along the Florida panhandle near Laguna
Beach on the morning of the 28th. The persistent afternoon and
evening convection along with moisture associated with Alberto
produced much above normal rainfall across much of the state. A
weak EF-0 tornado formed in one of the bands from Alberto on the
afternoon of the 28th near the town of Cameron.


It was the 3rd wettest May on record at Augusta. Here are the top
5 wettest May months on record.

1. 9.61 inches in 1979
2. 8.63 inches in 1873
3. 8.21 inches in 2018
4. 7.55 inches in 1984
5. 7.46 inches in 1915


It was the 4th warmest May on record at Columbia. Here are the top
5 warmest May months on record.

1. 77.5 degrees in 1896
2. 77.3 degrees in 1953
3. 77.0 degrees in 1933
4. 76.9 degrees in 2018
5. 76.7 degrees in 1962

If you look at the average minimum temperature for the month of
May, it was the warmest on record. Here are the top 5 warmest May
months for average minimum temperature.

1. 66.5 degrees in 2018
2. 65.7 degrees in 1896
3. 65.6 degrees in 1933
4. 65.5 degrees in 1991
5. 65.3 degrees in 2010



...Augusta Average Temperatures...

The average temperature at Augusta Regional Bush Field for
May was 74.0 degrees or 2.9 degrees above the normal of 71.1
degrees.

...Columbia Average Temperatures...

The average temperature at Columbia Metro Airport for May was
76.9 degrees or 5.2 degrees above the normal of 71.7 degrees.

...Orangeburg Average Temperatures...

The average temperature at the Orangeburg County Airport for
April was 60.8 degrees or 2.7 degrees below the normal of 63.5
degrees.


...Augusta Rainfall...

Augusta Bush Field received 8.21 inches of rainfall during May.
Normal is 2.65 inches.

...Columbia Rainfall...

Columbia Metro Airport received 2.76 inches of rainfall during
May. Normal is 2.97 inches

...Orangeburg Rainfall...

Orangeburg County Airport received 7.65 inches of rainfall during
May. Normal is 3.22 inches


Here are some of the highest monthly rainfall CoCoRaHS Reports
for May:

SC-AK-23 Aiken 1.0 SSW...........10.99 inches
SC-NW-11 Silverstreet 5.7 WNW....10.62 inches
SC-AK-47 Aiken 4.3 SSW...........10.40 inches
SC-BM-6  Ehrhardt 0.2 SE.........10.10 inches
SC-AK-71 N. Augusta 3.5 ENE.......9.96 inches
SC-AK-4  N. Augusta 4.2 NE........9.72 inches
SC-AK-27 Williston 4.3 NNW........9.52 inches
SC-MC-5  McCormick 2.3 W..........9.37 inches
SC-AK-74 Aiken 1.1 N..............9.34 inches
SC-AK-60 Wagener 1.4 S............9.28 inches

GA-BK-1  Waynesboro 3.3 SW.......13.10 inches
GA-BK-10 Waynesboro 5.3 SE.......11.15 inches
GA-MD-1  Thomson 2.5 S...........10.46 inches
GA-MD-5  Thomson 2.6 S...........10.10 inches
GA-BK-9  S. Augusta 4.1 S.........9.44 inches
GA-CU-21 Martinez 3.0 NE..........7.79 inches
GA-CU-11 Grovetown 2.0 SSW........7.71 inches


Here are some of the highest NWS Coop Observer monthly rainfall
reports for May:

WYNG1 Waynesboro.................10.31 inches
CHDS1 Clarks Hill.................8.70 inches
EDFS1 Edgefield 2 ENE.............8.70 inches
CHPS1 Lake Greenwood..............8.68 inches
WGRS1 Wagener 1 SW................8.62 inches


Highest Wind Gusts at ASOS Sites during May:

Augusta Daniel Field (DNL)............49 mph on the 12th
Columbia Metro Airport (CAE)..........35 mph on the 25th
Augusta Bush Field (AGS)..............31 mph on the 6th
Orangeburg County Airport (OGB).......30 mph on the 4th
Columbia Hamilton Owens Field (CUB)...28 mph on the 25th


Highest Wind Gusts on the area lakes during May:

Lake Murray Flotilla Island (LMFS1)...32 mph on the 16th
Lake Murray Towers USGS (IRMS1).......30 mph on the 10th
Lake Wateree Dam (WATS1)..............29 mph on the 11th
Lake Thurmond Dam (CHDS1).............25 mph on the 22nd and 29th


Lake Murray Water Temperatures at The Towers for May:

Warmest...79.9 degrees on May 30th
Coolest...68.2 degrees on May 1st


TEMPERATURE RECORDS TIED OR BROKEN DURING THE MONTH OF
May:

Augusta...
12th...Tied the record high for the date of 94 degrees set in
2000.

COLUMBIA...
13th...High temperature was 98 degrees. This broke the record high
of 97 degrees set in 2000.

29th...Low temperature was 75 degrees. This broke the record highest
low temperature of 73 degrees set in 1991.


Events for May 2018...

18th...Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall across
portions of Orangeburg and Calhoun counties during the late
morning into the early afternoon hours. At the Orangeburg County
Airport, 2.87 inches of rain fell in a 3 hour period. However,
2.54 inches of this total fell in just 90 minutes. The USGS stream
gage along the N. Fork of the Edisto River recorded 3.24 inches
of rainfall. Most of this rain fell in 90 minutes between 10 am
and 1130 am. The NWS Cooperative Observer at the Orangeburg Water
Treatment Plant recorded 2.88 inches of rainfall. Most of this
fell in the same 90 minute period between 10 am and 1130 am. This
locally heavy rainfall produced a 2 foot rise on the N. Fork of
the Edisto River at Orangeburg.

A daycare center in Orangeburg was flooded and the children had to
be rescued from the facility. A vehicle stalled in flood waters
near the intersection of Broughton Street and Whaley Street in
Orangeburg. Several roadways in and round the city of Orangeburg
were closed due to flooded roadways.

26th-31st...Sub-Tropical Storm Alberto came ashore along the
Florida panhandle during the early morning hours of the 28th.
Prior to the arrival of Alberto, moisture ahead of the system
produced locally heavy rainfall across portions of the Carolinas
and Georgia. The heaviest rainfall amounts were across western
North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina. Parts of these
areas received more than a foot of rainfall. Bands of heavy
showers and isolated thunderstorms pushed across the region
through the day on the 28th. A weak EF-0 tornado touched down
briefly near the town of Cameron during the afternoon. Here is the
report from the NWS storm damage survey team.

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR MEMORIAL DAY (5/28/18) TORNADO EVENT...

..Calhoun County EF-0 Tornado...

Start Location...1 ESE Cameron in Calhoun County SC
End Location...1 E Cameron in Calhoun County SC
Date...05/28/2018
Estimated Time...03:06 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF0
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...80 mph
Maximum Path Width...150 yards
Path Length...0.29 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon...33.5494 / -80.6966
Ending Lat/Lon...33.5534 / -80.6953
* Fatalities...0
* Injuries...0

...Summary...
The National Weather Service storm survey team determined that a
tornado touched down near the Cameron Community Center on Saint
John Road and traveled north-northeastward for 0.3 miles before
lifting. Damage included uplifted trees, damage to the community
center roof and garage door, a roof torn off of a baseball
dugout, metal roofing ripped from Saint John Baptist Church, and
damage to fencing and signs. Damage was consistent with an EF-
0 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 80 mph.

...River Flooding...
With all of the heavy rainfall across the headwaters of the area
rivers, which begin in the mountains of North Carolina and South
Carolina, river flooding began along the Congaree and Saluda
Rivers. It would take several more days for water to work it`s way
down into the Catawba/Wateree River system. High flows and river
flooding began on late on the 30th and the morning of the 31st.

The Congaree River at Columbia crested on the crested at 14.73
feet on June 1st. Flood Advisory stage is 10.0 feet. Flood Stage
is 19.0 feet. This produced flooding along the West Columbia and
Cayce Riverwalk. The Congaree River at Carolina Eastman crested at
121.10 feet on June 1st. This produced some minor flooding of the
Carolina Eastman facility. Flood stage is 115.0 feet. The
Congaree River at the Congaree National Park-Gadsden crested at
17.06 feet on June 2nd. This produced extensive flooding within
the park including trails and much of the lower and upper
boardwalks. Flood Stage is 15.0 feet. The Saluda River at
Chappells crested at 15.13 just after midnight on June 1st. Flood
Stage is 14.0 feet.



YEAR TO DATE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION STATISTICS...

COLUMBIA SC METROPOLITAN AIRPORT 2016/2017/2018 MONTHLY AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...

         AVG HIGH/DEP   AVG LOW/DEP   AVG TEMP    NORM  DEPARTURE
JAN 2016  55.1/-0.9      33.6/-0.1      44.3      44.8    -0.5
FEB       60.1/-0.2      37.9/+1.1      49.0      48.5    +0.5
MAR       75.0/+6.8      49.8/+6.8      62.4      55.6    +6.8
APR       78.1/+1.8      53.6/+3.2      65.8      63.4    +2.4
MAY       83.4/-0.4      61.9/+2.4      72.7      71.7    +1.0
JUN       94.2/+4.2      71.7/+3.5      83.0      79.1    +3.9
JUL       99.2/+6.5      75.2/+3.6      87.2      82.2    +5.0
AUG       93.8/+3.1      74.8/+3.8      84.3      80.8    +3.5
SEP       89.2/+4.0      69.6/+5.4      79.4      74.7    +4.7
OCT       80.5/+4.4      56.0/+3.9      68.3      64.1    +4.2
NOV       70.6/+3.3      41.8/-0.5      56.2      54.8    +1.4
DEC       59.6/+1.4      39.9/+4.6      49.7      46.7    +3.0

JAN 2017  64.5/+8.5      43.0/+9.3      53.7      44.8    +8.9
FEB       71.4/+11.1     43.1/+6.3      57.2      48.5    +8.7
MAR       70.9/+2.7      44.1/+1.1      57.5      55.6    +1.9
APR       81.0/+4.7      57.7/+7.3      69.4      63.4    +6.0
MAY       85.2/+1.4      61.9/+2.4      73.6      71.7    +1.9
JUN       89.3/-0.7      70.1/+1.9      79.7      79.1    +0.6
JUL       93.7/+1.0      73.5/+1.9      83.6      82.2    +1.4
AUG       91.4/+0.7      73.2/+2.2      82.3      80.8    +1.5
SEP       88.6/+3.4      65.6/+1.4      77.1      74.7    +2.4
OCT       80.3/+4.2      55.8/+3.7      68.0      64.1    +3.9
NOV       70.1/+1.0      40.9/-0.5      55.5      55.2    +0.3
DEC       59.8/+1.6      39.4/+4.1      49.6      46.7    +2.9

JAN 2018  55.5/-0.5      30.5/-3.2      43.0      44.8    -1.8
FEB       70.1/+9.8      49.6/+12.8     59.8      48.5   +11.3
MAR       65.8/-2.4      42.5/-0.5      54.2      55.6    -1.4
APR       75.1/-1.2      49.4/-1.0      62.3      63.4    -1.1
MAY       87.3/+1.4      66.5/+7.0      76.9      71.7    +5.2

AUGUSTA GA BUSH FIELD 2016/2017/2018 MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...

         AVG HIGH/DEP   AVG LOW/DEP   AVG TEMP    NORM  DEPARTURE
JAN 2016  55.3/-2.6      33.1/+0.3     44.2       45.4    -1.2
FEB       61.7/-0.6      37.9/+2.0     49.8       49.0    +0.7
MAR       74.4/+4.5      47.1/+5.1     60.8       55.9    +4.9
APR       77.5/+0.2      50.1/+2.0     63.8       62.7    +1.2
MAY       83.2/-1.8      58.2/+0.9     70.7       71.1    -0.4
JUN       92.2/+1.2      68.8/+2.6     80.5       78.6    +1.9
JUL       97.5/+4.1      71.7/+1.9     84.6       81.6    +3.0
AUG       94.2/+2.4      72.1/+2.8     83.1       80.2    +2.6
SEP       88.9/+2.2      66.0/+3.4     77.4       74.6    +2.8
OCT       82.5/+4.8      53.8/+2.8     68.2       64.4    +3.8
NOV       73.4/+4.3      41.2/-0.2     57.3       55.2    +2.1
DEC       62.4/+2.4      41.8/+7.3     52.4       47.2    +5.2

JAN 2017  67.5/+9.6      43.5/+10.7    55.5       45.4   +10.1
FEB       73.2/+10.9     43.4/+7.5     58.3       49.1    +9.2
MAR       73.7/+3.8      43.8/+1.8     58.8       55.9    +2.9
APR       83.2/+5.9      55.4/+7.3     69.3       62.7    +6.6
MAY       87.1/+2.1      61.1/+3.8     74.1       71.1    +3.0
JUN       90.8/-0.2      69.4/+3.2     80.1       78.6    +1.5
JUL       94.3/+0.9      72.9/+3.1     83.6       81.6    +2.0
AUG       91.7/-0.1      72.8/+3.5     82.3       80.5    +1.8
SEP       87.4/+2.7      64.0/+1.4     76.7       74.6    +2.1
OCT       82.4/+4.7      54.7/+3.7     68.5       64.4    +4.1
NOV       68.9/+1.6      42.4/+0.1     55.6       54.8    +0.8
DEC       60.4/+0.4      38.8/+4.3     49.6       47.2    +2.4

JAN 2018  57.1/-0.8      29.2/-3.6     43.1       45.4    -2.3
FEB       71.6/+9.3      48.4/+12.5    60.0       49.1   +10.9
MAR       67.7/-2.2      41.2/-1.4     54.5       55.9    -1.4
APR       75.1/-2.2      46.1/-2.0     60.6       62.7    -2.1
MAY       86.4/+1.4      61.5/+4.2     74.0       71.1    +2.9

COLUMBIA SC METROPOLITAN AIRPORT 2016/2017/2018 MONTHLY
PRECIPITATION...

               TOTAL   NORMAL   DEPARTURE
              (INCHES)
JAN 2016       1.94     3.58    -1.64
FEB            4.69     3.61    +1.08
MAR            1.88     3.73    -1.85
APR            2.80     2.62    +0.18
MAY            2.61     2.97    -0.36
JUN            2.39     4.69    -2.30
JUL            1.79     5.46    -3.67
AUG            4.83     5.26    -0.43
SEP            6.81     3.54    +3.27
OCT            2.09     3.27    -1.18
NOV            2.01     2.74    -0.73
DEC            3.35     3.22    +0.13
ANNUAL        39.55    44.59    -5.04

JAN 2017       7.04     3.58    +3.46
FEB            1.60     3.61    -2.01
MAR            2.38     3.73    -1.35
APR            6.11     2.62    +3.49
MAY            7.15     2.97    +4.18
JUN            5.13     4.69    +0.44
JUL            5.42     5.46    -0.04
AUG            1.92     5.26    -3.34
SEP            4.55     3.54    +1.01
OCT            1.57     3.17    -1.60
NOV            1.28     2.74    -1.46
DEC            3.29     3.22    +0.07

JAN 2018       2.42     3.58    -1.16
FEB            1.61     3.61    -2.00
MAR            2.97     3.73    -0.76
APR            3.10     2.62    +0.48
MAY            2.76     2.97    -0.21

AUGUSTA GA BUSH FIELD 2016/2017/2018 MONTHLY PRECIPITATION...

               TOTAL   NORMAL   DEPARTURE
              (INCHES)
JAN 2016       1.66     3.91     -2.25
FEB            3.76     3.92     -0.16
MAR            3.18     4.18     -1.00
APR            4.42     2.84     +1.58
MAY            5.71     2.65     +3.06
JUN            2.87     4.72     -1.85
JUL            1.31     4.33     -3.02
AUG            3.66     4.32     -0.66
SEP            6.81     3.54     +3.27
OCT            4.45     3.17     +1.28
NOV            0.62     2.82     -2.20
DEC            4.41     3.39     +1.02
ANNUAL        38.27    43.57     -5.02

JAN 2017      10.13     3.91     +6.22
FEB            2.11     3.92     -1.81
MAR            1.77     4.18     -2.41
APR            2.60     2.84     -0.24
MAY            3.14     2.65     +0.69
JUN            3.52     4.72     -1.20
JUL            5.04     4.33     +0.71
AUG            5.87     4.32     +1.55
SEP            4.28     3.22     +1.06
OCT            0.83     3.27     -2.44
NOV            1.36     2.82     -1.46
DEC            4.11     3.39     +0.72

JAN 2018       2.09     3.91     -1.82
FEB            1.57     3.92     -2.35
MAR            3.21     4.18     -0.97
APR            3.47     2.84     +0.63
MAY            8.21     2.65     +5.56


The 3-Month Outlook for Summer
(June/July/August)...

The outlook calls for a 33 to 40 percent chance of above normal
temperatures along with a 40 percent chance of above 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)...
...El Nino Watch...

Equatorial sea surface temperatures continued to be near normal
for the month of May across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
ENSO-neutral conditions are favored through the Northern Hemisphere
Summer 2018. The chance for El Nino will increase to 50 percent
during the Fall, and 65 percent during Winter 2018-19.

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 .

$$

Vaughan

$$