PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA, SC
752 PM EDT SUN OCT 4 2009



...ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH...
...ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH...
...FIRST TOUCH OF FALL AS MORNING LOWS DIP INTO THE 40S...

THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER WAS ONE OF THE FEW MONTHS THIS YEAR WHERE 
BOTH COLUMBIA AND AUGUSTA RECORED ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THE 
MONTH. THE MONTH BEGAN WITH A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE 
WESTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTRY AND A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS 
THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTRY. THIS PRODUCED BELOW NORMAL 
TEMPERATURES AND DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH. THE 
PATTER CHANGED DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH AS A PERSISTENT 
MIDDLE AND UPPER ATMOSPHERIC AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVED VERY SLOWLY 
FROM TEXAS TO THE GULF COAST AND EVENTUALLY TO THE GREAT LAKES. MUCH 
OF THE RECORDED MONTHLY RAIN FELL DURING THIS PERIOD. BY THE END OF 
THE MONTH THE RIDGE ACROSS THE WEST AND TROUGH ACROSS THE EAST 
PATTERN RETURNED TO THE REGION PROVIDING COOLER AND DRIER 
CONDITIONS. COOL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILD INTO THE REGION BY THE 
END OF THE MONTH PROVIDING THE FIRST TOUCH OF FALL AS MORNING LOW 
TEMPERATURES AT BOTH AUGUSTA AND COLUMBIA FELL TO 48 DEGREES ON THE 
30TH. THE MONTH REMAINED RELATIVELY QUITE IN REGARDS TO SEVERE 
WEATHER...EXCEPT FOR THE EVENING OF THE 9TH. AN UPPER LEVEL WEATHER 
DISTURBANCE PRODUCED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG DAMAGING WINDS 
AND HAIL THAT RANGED FROM QUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZE ACROSS NEWBERRY 
AND SALUDA COUNTIES. 

PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH VARIED GREATLY ACROSS THE REGION. THE 
HEAVIEST RAIN FELL ACROSS THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA WHERE 
LOCALLY UP TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN WAS RECORDED. IN CONTRAST...ACROSS 
PORTIONS OF CLARENDON COUNTY LESS THAN ONE HALF INCH FELL FOR THE 
MONTH. ON AVERAGE...MOST AREAS RECEIVED FROM 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN 
DURING THE MONTH.  

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT WAS 75.4 DEGREES 
OR 0.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT AUGUSTA 
REGIONAL BUSH FIELD WAS 75.1 DEGREES OR 1.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.   

THE PRECIPITATION TOTAL AT COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT WAS 5.61 INCHES OR 
1.67 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. AT AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD THE TOTAL 
PRECIPITATION WAS 3.63 INCHES OR 0.04 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. 


AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD...

              MONTHLY TOTAL      NORMAL FOR THE MONTH      DIFFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 2008    0.96                 3.59                  -2.64 
OCTOBER           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 2009    3.63                 3.59                  +0.04

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT...

              MONTHLY TOTAL      NORMAL FOR THE MONTH      DIFFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 2008    2.34                 3.94                  -1.60 
OCTOBER           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 2009    5.61                 3.94                  +1.67  

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.