PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA, SC
421 PM EST SUN NOV 1 2009

...8TH WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD AT COLUMBIA...
...TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL FOR THE MONTH...
...FIRST FROST OF THE SEASON...

THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WAS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH THAT BOTH 
AUGUSTA AND COLUMBIA REPORTED ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE 
WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS THE REGION REMAINED QUITE ACTIVE WITH WEATHER 
SYSTEMS AFFECTING THE REGION EVERY FEW DAYS. TEMPERATURES FOR THE 
MONTH WERE CLOSE TO NORMAL. THE MID/UPPER FLOW WAS ZONAL FOR MUCH OF 
THE MONTH THUS PROVIDING FOR A CHANCE OF RAIN EVERY FEW DAYS. 
HOWEVER...A DEEP TROUGH DEVELOPED ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE 
COUNTRY DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH FROM THE 16TH-19TH ALLOWING 
COOL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD DOWN INTO THE REGION. THIS 
PRODUCED TEMPERATURES FROM 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ACROSS THE 
REGION. ON THE MORNINGS OF THE 19TH AND 20TH..TEMPERATURES FELL INTO 
THE 30S ACROSS THE REGION WITH 29 DEGREES REPORTED BOTH MORNINGS AT 
CEDAR CREEK. AREAS OF FROST WERE REPORTED BOTH MORNINGS. ON THE 
MORNING OF THE 19TH AT AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD...THE TEMPERATURE 
FELL TO 34 DEGREES TYING THE RECORD SET IN 1981. THERE WERE ALSO A 
FEW LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS THAT WERE EITHER TIED OR 
BROKEN DURING THE MONTH. NEW RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 
SET AT COLUMBIA ON THE 17TH OF 58 DEGREES...PREVIOUS RECORD 60 
DEGREES ON 1943. ALSO 63 DEGREES ON THE 19TH...PREVIOUS RECORD 64 
DEGREES IN 1972. AT AUGUSTA A NEW RECORD LOW MAXIMUM OF 58 DEGREES 
WAS SET ON THE 17TH...PREVIOUS RECORD 60 DEGREES IN 1943.  

PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH VARIED GREATLY ACROSS THE REGION. THE 
HEAVIEST RAIN FELL ACROSS THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA AND 
WESTERN MIDLANDS WHERE AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES. IN 
CONTRAST...ACROSS THE EASTERN MIDLANDS RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE AROUND 
ONE INCH OR LESS. IN CLARENDON COUNTY AMOUNTS WERE LESS THAN ONE 
HALF INCH. ON AVERAGE...MOST AREAS RECEIVED FROM 3 TO 4 INCHES OF 
RAIN DURING THE MONTH.  

OTHER PRECIPITATION REPORTS FOR THE MONTH...
CHAPPELLS...............7.56 IN.
JOHNSTON................7.20 IN.
PELION..................7.02 IN.
SANDHILL RESEARCH CTR...6.94 IN.
CLARKS HILL.............6.85 IN.
OWENS FIELD COLUMBIA....6.22 IN.
DANIEL FIELD AUGUSTA....6.19 IN.
EDGEFIELD...............6.12 IN.
ORANGEBURG AIRPORT......3.43 IN.
SPRINGFIELD.............1.80 IN.
WATEREE DAM.............1.49 IN.
 

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT WAS 63.3 DEGREES 
OR 0.4 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT AUGUSTA 
REGIONAL BUSH FIELD WAS 63.2 DEGREES OR 0.1 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.   

THE PRECIPITATION TOTAL AT COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT WAS 6.79 INCHES OR 
3.90 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. AT AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD THE TOTAL 
PRECIPITATION WAS 5.10 INCHES OR 1.90 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. IT WAS 
THE 16TH WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD AT AUGUSTA.


AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD...

              MONTHLY TOTAL      NORMAL FOR THE MONTH      DIFFERENCE

OCTOBER 2008      3.97                 3.20                  +0.77 
NOVEMBER          7.24                 2.68                  +4.56 
DECEMBER          4.04                 3.14                  +0.90  
JANUARY           1.07                 4.66                  -3.59 
FEBRUARY          3.21                 4.11                  -0.90 
MARCH             4.38                 4.61                  -0.23 
APRIL             4.33                 2.94                  +1.39 
MAY               4.38                 3.07                  +1.31 
JUNE              3.78                 4.19                  -0.41 
JULY              3.29                 4.07                  -0.78  
AUGUST            2.38                 4.48                  -2.10 
SEPTEMBER         3.63                 3.59                  +0.04
OCTOBER 2009      5.10                 3.20                  +1.90

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT...

              MONTHLY TOTAL      NORMAL FOR THE MONTH      DIFFERENCE

OCTOBER 2008      3.21                 2.89                  +0.32 
NOVEMBER          5.01                 2.88                  +2.13 
DECEMBER          3.40                 3.38                  +0.02 
JANUARY           1.52                 4.50                  -2.98 
FEBRUARY          3.00                 3.84                  -0.84 
MARCH             3.41                 4.59                  -1.18 
APRIL             2.76                 2.98                  -0.22 
MAY               5.45                 3.17                  +2.28 
JUNE              3.61                 4.99                  -1.38 
JULY              5.87                 5.54                  +0.33 
AUGUST            3.82                 5.41                  -1.59 
SEPTEMBER         5.61                 3.94                  +1.67 
OCTOBER 2009      6.79                 2.89                  +3.90

TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR COLUMBIA GO BACK TO 1887 AND FOR AUGUSTA  
BACK TO 1874. PRECIPITATION RECORDS FOR COLUMBIA GO BACK TO 1878 AND 
FOR AUGUSTA BACK TO 1871.