...BRIEF CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY AND THE WINTER OF DECEMBER 
2011 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2012...


...10TH DRIEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD AT AUGUSTA...
...3RD DRIEST WINTER ON RECORD AT AUGUSTA...
...12TH DRIEST WINTER ON RECORD AT COLUMBIA...
...10TH WARMEST WINTER ON RECORD AT COLUMBIA...
...22ND WARMEST WINTER ON RECORD AT AUGUSTA...

THE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THIS WINTER CONTINUED INTO THE MONTH 
OF FEBRUARY. THE TREND OF BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION ALSO CONTINUED 
DURING THE MONTH. HOWEVER...SOME SITES DID SEE ABOVE NORMAL 
PRECIPITATION PRODUCE BY LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN DURING THE SEVERE 
WEATHER EVENT THAT OCCURRED ON THE 24TH. THIS SYSTEM ALSO PRODUCED A 
WIDE SWATH OF SEVERE WEATHER STRETCHING FROM THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH 
RIVER AREA ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 TO THE PEE DEE REGION. 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HAIL UP TO GOLF 
BALL SIZE...WINDS GUSTING UP TO 90 MPH...AND 2 TORNADOES. AN EF0 
TORNADO STRUCK SUMTER COUNTY FROM SPARKLEBERRY LANDING NORTHEAST TO 
NEAR THE TOWN OF PINEWOOD. A SECOND TORNADO...AN EF2...STRUCK NEAR 
THE TOWN OF WAGENER IN AIKEN COUNTY THEN MOVED EAST ACROSS THE 

NORTH FORK OF THE EDISTO RIVER INTO SOUTHERN LEXINGTON TO NEAR THE 
TOWN OF PELION. 

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH:

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT (CAE)...52.2 DEGREES OR +3.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL
AUGUSTA BUSH FIELD (AGS).......52.4 DEGREES OR +3.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL

THE TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH:

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT (CAE)...2.46 INCHES OR -1.15 INCHES BELOW NORMAL
AUGUSTA BUSH FIELD (AGS).......1.12 INCHES OR -2.80 INCHES BELOW NORMAL


...THE WINTER OF 2011-2012 (DEC-FEB)

THE LA NINA PATTERN THAT PERSISTED FOR THE WINTER OR 2011-2012 LIVED 
UP TO ITS POTENTIAL BY BRINGING A COMBINATION OF ABOVE NORMAL 
TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THERE WAS ALSO NO 
OFFICIAL REPORTS OF SNOW FOR THE WINTER...HOWEVER SOME SLEET WAS 
REPORTED ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 14TH. 

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR THE WINTER:

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT........51.0 DEGREES...AVG. 46.7 DEGREES
AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD...50.6 DEGREES...AVG. 47.2 DEGREES

TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE WINTER:

COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT........5.33 INCHES...AVG. 10.41 INCHES
AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD...3.80 INCHES...AVG. 11.22 INCHES

ADDITIONAL CLIMATE INFORMATION FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AND THE 
WINTER OF 2011-2012 WILL BE ISSUED LATER. 


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.

$$