000
NOUS42 KCAE 080341 CCA
PNSCAE

NOUS42 KCAE 011800
PNSCAE

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED FOR AUGUSTA MONTHLY PRECIP
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
1140 PM EDT WED SEP 8 2011

...AUGUST 2011 WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THE MIDLANDS AND CSRA...

...3RD WARMEST AUGUST ON RECORD AT COLUMBIA AND AUGUSTA...
...5TH DRIEST AUGUST ON RECORD AT AUGUSTA...

...WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD (JUNE...JULY AND AUGUST)...
...3 FLASH FLOOD EVENTS ALONG ROCKY BRANCH CREEK IN COLUMBIA... 
...MULTIPLE SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST...
...FIRST TROPICAL SYSTEM TO EFFECT THE STATE...HURRICANE IRENE...

THE THEME FOR AUGUSTA ACROSS THE REGION WAS THE SAME STORY FOR THE 
SUMMER OF 2011...PERSISTENT HEAT AND THE CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS. 
THIS LED TO THE SUMMER OF 2011 AS BEING THE HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD 
AT BOTH COLUMBIA AND AUGUSTA. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED NEARLY 3 TO 6 
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH. IT WAS THE 3RD HOTTEST 
AUGUST ON RECORD AT BOTH COLUMBIA AND AUGUSTA. THE MERCURY CLIMBED 
TO 100 DEGREES OR HIGHER 11 TIMES AT AUGUSTA AND 5 TIMES AT 
COLUMBIA. AT AUGUSTA...BETWEEN THE 2ND AND THE 11TH...THERE WERE 9 
DAYS OUT OF 11 OF 100 DEGREES OR HIGHER. THE WEATHER PATTERN 
REMAINED MUCH THE SAME DURING AUGUST AS MUCH OF THE SUMMER. THE 
REGION WAS DOMINATED BY A STRONG MIDDLE AND UPPER LEVEL AREA OF HIGH 
PRESSURE THAT PERSISTED ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN PORTION 

OF THE COUNTRY. HOWEVER...TOWARD THE END OF AUGUST THE RIDGE OF HIGH 
PRESSURE BEGAN TO SHIFT FARTHER WESTWARD TOWARD THE DESSERT 
SOUTHWEST INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.  

TYPICALLY SEVERE WEATHER BEGINS TO DECLINE DURING AUGUST AS COMPARED 
TO THE SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER MONTHS. DURING AUGUST 45 SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ALONG WITH 7 FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS. 
THERE WERE SEVERAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS DURING THE MONTH. MOST OF 
THE EVENTS INVOLVED STRONG DAMAGING WINDS THAT BROUGHT DOWN TREES 
AND POWERLINES. THE AREA ASOS AND OTHER OFFICIAL NWS SYSTEMS 
RECORDED SOME VERY STRONG WIND GUSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORMS. 

HERE ARE THE PEAK WIND GUSTS FOR THE MONTH AT EACH STATION: 

AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD.....63 MPH ON THE 13TH
AUGUSTA DANIEL FIELD............32 MPH ON THE 10TH 
ORANGEBURG AIRPORT..............39 MPH ON THE 9TH

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT..........37 MPH ON THE 9ND
OWENS FIELD DOWNTOWN AIRPORT....51 MPH ON THE 1TH
LAKE MARION (LMSS1).............34 MPH ON THE 5TH
LAKE MURRAY (LMFS1).............48 MPH ON THE 6TH
LAKE THURMOND (CHDS1)...........34 MPH ON THE 14TH
LAKE WATEREE (WATS1)............47 MPH ON THE 29TH

CHECKING SOME OF THE DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES FROM OUR COOPERATIVE 
WEATHER OBSERVERS SHOWED MANY LOCATION CLIMBED AT OR ABOVE THE 
CENTURY MARK. 

HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURES RECORDED DURING THE 
MONTH:

UNIV. OF SOUTH CAROLINA (USCS1)...105 DEGREES ON THE 3RD AND 4TH
APPLING GA (APLG1)................104 DEGREES ON THE 4TH
JOHNSTON (JOHS1)..................104 DEGREES ON THE 4TH

MCCORMICK (MCCS1).................104 DEGREES ON THE 4TH
LAKE WATEREE DAM (WATS1)..........104 DEGREES ON THE 4TH
BAMBERG (BAMS1)...................103 DEGREES ON THE 4TH
MCCORMICK (MCCS1).................103 DEGREES ON THE 9TH
NEWBERRY (NWYS1)..................103 DEGREES ON THE 4TH

AS FOR PRECIPITATION...RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA WAS GENERALLY 
BETWEEN 2 AND 5 INCHES...WHICH IS BELOW NORMAL FOR THE MONTH OF 
AUGUST. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WERE ACROSS THE PEE DEE 
AND EASTERN MIDLANDS WHERE 4 TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THE LOWEST 
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WERE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH 
RIVER AREA AND WESTERN MIDLANDS WHERE ONLY 1/2 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN 
FELL.   

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS...

ON THE 5TH...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ALONG A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY 

AND PRODUCED LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE MIDLANDS. ROCKY BRANCH 
CREEK IN COLUMBIA CRESTED AT 8.7 FEET (FLOOD STAGE IS 7.2 FEET) AT 
PICKENS STREET. THIS PRODUCED 2 TO 5 FEET OF WATER ON SOME ROADWAYS 
INCLUDING THE 5 POINTS AREA AND THE WHALEY ST. AND MAIN ST. AREAS. 

ON THE 9TH...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ALONG A WEAK 
FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THE STORMS DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES ACROSS 
THE CENTRAL MIDLANDS. IN ORANGEBURG COUNTY 2 MOBILE HOMES WERE 
DAMAGED AS THEY WERE STRUCK BY FALLEN TREES. 

ON THE 11TH...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED AND PRODUCED LOCALLY HEAVY 
RAIN ACROSS THE MIDLANDS ALONG WITH A FEW STORMS BECOMING SEVERE. 
SEVERE STORMS DOWNED TREES IN NEWBERRY...KERSHAW AND RICHLAND 
COUNTIES. ALONG ROCKY BRANCH CREEK IN COLUMBIA FLOODING WAS REPORTED 
AS THE CREEK CRESTED AT 8.1 FEET (FLOOD STAGE IS 7.2 FEET) AT WHALEY 
ST AND MAIN ST. THE WATER ROSE TO 4 TO 6 FEET IN SOME AREAS 
SUBMERGING A FEW VEHICLES. 


ON THE 12TH-13TH AND 14TH...A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY PRODUCED 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS AND CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER 
AREA. THE STORMS DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES ACROSS THE AREA. ONE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A 63 MPH WIND GUST AT AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH 
FIELD. 

ON THE 21ST...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DOWNED TREES ACROSS 
ORANGEBURG AND CHESTERFIELD COUNTIES.

ON THE 26TH-27TH...HURRICANE IRENE WAS A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE AS IT 
MOVED NORTHWARD OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST ON THE 26TH...THEN 
WEAKENED TO A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHED THE NORTH 
CAROLINA COAST ON THE 27TH MAKING LANDFALL NEAR CAPE LOOKOUT. IRENE 
MAINLY AFFECTED THE COASTAL AREAS OF THE STATE...HOWEVER SOME OF THE 
RAINFALL MADE IT AS FAR WEST AS THE EASTERN MIDLANDS ALONG THE I-95 
CORRIDOR. THE HIGHEST WIND GUST RECORDED ALONG THE COAST WAS 62 MPH 

ON THE 26TH AT THE SPRINGMAID PIER IN MYRTLE BEACH. THE HIGHEST WIND 
GUST RECORDED INLAND ON THE 26TH WAS AT THE FLORENCE AIRPORT...43 
MPH. 

ON THE 29TH...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND 
EASTERN MIDLANDS DOWNING TREES AND POWER LINES IN MANY AREAS. THE 
STORMS ALSO PRODUCED LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA  
CAUSING ROCKY BRANCH CREEK TO RISE QUICKLY AT WHALEY ST. AND MAIN 
ST. THE CREEK CRESTED AT 8.2 FEET (FLOOD STAGE IS 7.2 FEET). 
 
TEMPERATURES...

RECORD DAILY TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL 2011 FOR COLUMBIA METROPOLITAN 
AIRPORT (CAE) AND AUGUSTA BUSH FIELD (AGS):

AT COLUMBIA...
2ND...TIED THE RECORD HIGH OF 100

3RD...HIGH 103...BROKE THE RECORD OF 102 SET IN 1953
4TH...BROKE THE WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE OF 78 SET IN 2006 (THIS IS 
ALSO THE RECORD FOR THE WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE EVER FOR AUGUST) 
27TH...TIED THE WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE OF 80 SET IN 1998
     
AT AUGUSTA...
3RD...HIGH 105...BROKE THE RECORD OF 101 SET IN 1956 AND 2006
4TH...HIGH 104...BROKE THE RECORD OF 103 SET IN 2006
4TH...TIED THE WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE OF 80 SET IN 1935
8TH...TIED THE RECORD HIGH OF 103
28TH...TIED THE RECORD OF 99

    
COLDEST TEMP OF THE MONTH
CAE 66 16TH AND 26TH
AGS 64 18TH AND 28TH


WARMEST TEMP OF THE MONTH
CAE 103 3RD
AGS 105 3RD


COLUMBIA SC METROPOLITAN AIRPORT (CAE) AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...

         AVG HIGH/DEEP  AVG LOW/DEEP   AVG TEMP  NORMAL  DEPARTURE 
JAN 2010  52.4/-2.7     29.6/-4.4     41.0      44.6    -3.6
FEB       51.8/-7.7     31.2/-5.1     41.5      47.9    -6.4
MAR       65.7/-1.7     41.1/-2.4     53.4      55.4    -2.0
APR       80.3/+4.6     51.3/+0.6     65.8      63.2    +2.6
MAY       86.6/+3.5     65.3/+5.3     76.0      71.6    +4.4
JUN       94.6/+5.5     72.8/+4.9     83.7      78.5    +5.2 
JUL       95.1/+3.0     73.7/+1.9     84.4      82.0    +2.4 
AUG       92.3/+2.3     74.6/+4.6     83.5      80.3    +3.2 

SEP       91.3/+6.5     66.6/+2.0     78.9      74.7    +4.2 
OCT       79.8/+4.0     51.2/-0.3     65.5      63.7    +1.8 
NOV       68.3/+1.6     41.9/-0.7     55.1      54.7    +0.4
DEC       51.1/-6.7     28.2/-7.9     39.6      47.0    -7.4 
ANNUAL    75.8/+0.5     52.3/+0.7     64.0      63.6    +0.4

JAN 2011  52.7/-2.4     30.7/-5.5     41.7      44.6    -2.9 
FEB       64.6/+5.1     39.7/+3.4     52.2      47.9    +4.3
MAR       68.6/+1.2     45.7/+2.2     57.1      55.4    +1.7 
APR       80.9/+5.2     54.6/+3.9     67.8      63.2    +4.6 
MAY       85.5/+2.4     62.8/+2.8     74.2      71.6    +2.6
JUN       95.2/+6.1     71.4/+3.5     83.3      78.5    +4.8  
JUL       96.4/+3.7     74.6/+3.0     85.5      82.2    +3.3 
AUG       94.5/+3.8     73.0/+2.0     83.8      80.8    +3.0      
 

AUGUSTA GA BUSH FIELD (AGS) AVERAGE TEMPERATURE...


         AVG HIGH/DEEP  AVG LOW/DEEP  AVG TEMP   NORMAL  DEPARTURE
JAN 2010  53.9/-2.6     29.5/-3.6    41.7      44.8     -3.1
FEB       53.6/-7.7     30.6/-4.9    42.1      48.4     -6.3
MAR       66.0/-3.2     39.5/-3.0    52.8      55.9     -3.1
APR       80.9/+4.2     47.7/+0.4    64.3      62.4     +1.9 
MAY       86.9/+3.0     61.4/+4.2    74.2      70.5     +3.7
JUN       95.9/+6.3     69.6/+4.2    82.8      77.5     +5.3
JUL       95.8/+3.8     71.5/+1.9    83.6      80.8     +2.8
AUG       92.4/+2.2     72.2/+4.3    82.3      79.3     +3.0
SEP       91.5/+6.2     61.9/-0.5    76.7      73.8     +2.9
OCT       81.1/+4.6     47.3/-2.3    64.2      63.1     +1.1
NOV       70.1/+2.3     39.7/-1.2    54.9      54.4     +0.5
DEC       52.9/-6.2     26.0/-8.7    39.4      46.9     -7.5
ANNUAL    76.8/+1.1     49.7/-1.0    63.2      63.2      0.0


JAN 2011  54.1/-2.4     29.2/-3.9    41.7      44.8     -3.1 
FEB       65.9/+4.6     36.9/+1.4    51.4      48.4     +3.0
MAR       71.4/+2.2     43.9/+1.4    57.6      55.9     +1.7
APR       82.6/+5.9     51.6/+3.5    67.1      62.4     +4.7
MAY       86.7/+2.8     57.7/+0.5    72.2      70.5     +1.7 
JUN       96.2/+6.6     67.9/+2.5    82.0      77.5     +4.5 
JUL       97.3/+3.9     71.8/+2.0    84.6      81.6     +3.0 
AUG       97.7/+5.9     71.0/+1.7    84.4      80.5     +3.9  

PRECIPITATION...

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT PRECIPITATION...

                    TOTAL       NORMAL      DIFFERENCE
                  (INCHES)

JANUARY 2010        3.18         4.66         -1.48  
FEBRUARY            2.88         3.84         -0.96 
MARCH               2.34         4.59         -2.25     
APRIL               0.91         2.98         -2.07  
MAY                 2.10         3.17         -1.07 
JUNE                4.20         4.99         -0.79 
JULY                7.70         5.54         +2.16 
AUGUST              5.56         5.41         +0.15 
SEPTEMBER           1.94         3.94         -2.00 
OCTOBER             1.83         2.89         -1.06 
NOVEMBER            1.46         2.88         -1.42 
DECEMBER            1.40         3.38         -1.98 
ANNUAL             35.50        48.27        -12.77

JANUARY 2011        1.70         4.66         -2.96 
FEBRUARY            4.21         3.84         +0.37 
MARCH               4.00         4.59         -0.59

APRIL               2.76         2.98         -0.22 
MAY                 2.74         3.17         -0.43
JUNE                2.87         4.99         -2.12
JULY                6.17         5.46         +0.71
AUGUST              4.01         5.26         -1.25 


AUGUSTA BUSH FIELD PRECIPITATION...

                    TOTAL       NORMAL      DIFFERENCE  
                  (INCHES)  
JANUARY 2010        5.39         4.50         +0.89 
FEBRUARY            2.37         4.11         -1.74 
MARCH               3.20         4.61         -1.41 
APRIL               1.20         2.94         -1.74 

MAY                 1.36         3.07         -1.71 
JUNE                2.19         4.19         -2.00  
JULY                5.86         4.07         +1.79 
AUGUST              2.04         4.48         -2.44 
SEPTEMBER           1.89         3.59         -1.70 
OCTOBER             0.67         3.20         -2.53 
NOVEMBER            1.30         2.68         -1.38 
DECEMBER            1.17         3.14         -1.97 
ANNUAL             28.61        44.58        -15.97

JANUARY 2011        2.11         4.50         -2.39 
FEBRUARY            4.31         4.11         +0.20
MARCH               5.45         4.61         +0.84
APRIL               1.93         2.94         -1.01
MAY                 2.50         3.07         -0.57
JUNE                1.98         4.19         -2.21
JULY                4.05         4.33         -0.28

AUGUST              1.16         4.32         -3.16


...HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD AT BOTH COLUMBIA AND AUGUSTA...
HERE ARE THE TOP 5 HOTTEST SUMMERS ON RECORD AT BOTH COLUMBIA AND 
AUGUSTA (METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER INCLUDES JUNE...JULY AND AUGUST):

AT COLUMBIA...
1. 84.2 DEGREES 2011
2. 83.9 DEGREES 2010
3. 82.6 DEGREES 1993, 1986
5. 82.3 DEGREES 1998

AT AUGUSTA...
1. 83.7 DEGREES 2011
2. 83.4 DEGREES 1993
3. 82.9 DEGREES 2010

4. 82.6 DEGREES 1881
5. 82.5 DEGREES 1878


.NOTE...
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