2001 Charleston, South Carolina (CHS)

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2001 CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (CHS)

Charleston is a peninsula city bounded on the west and south by the Ashley River, on the east by the Cooper River, and on the southeast by a spacious harbor. Weather records for the airport are from a site some 10 miles inland. The terrain is generally level, ranging in elevation from sea level to 20 feet on the peninsula, with gradual increases in elevation toward inland areas. The soil is sandy to sandy loam with lesser amounts of loam. The drainage varies from good to poor. Because of the very low elevation, a considerable portion of this community and the nearby coastal islands are vulnerable to tidal flooding.

The climate is temperate, modified considerably by the nearness to the ocean. The marine influence is noticeable during winter when the low temperatures are sometimes 10–15 degrees higher on the peninsula than at the airport. By the same token, high temperatures are generally a few degrees lower on the peninsula. The prevailing winds are northerly in the fall and winter, southerly in the spring and summer.

Summer is warm and humid. Temperatures of 100 degrees or more are infrequent. High temperatures are generally several degrees lower along the coast than inland due to the cooling effect of the sea breeze. Summer is the rainiest season with 41 percent of the annual total. The rain, except during occasional tropical storms, generally occurs as showers or thunderstorms.

The fall season passes through the warm Indian Summer period to the pre–winter cold spells which begin late in November. From late September to early November the weather is mostly sunny and temperature extremes are rare. Late summer and early fall is the period of maximum threat to the South Carolina coast from hurricanes.

The winter months, December through February, are mild with periods of rain. However, the winter rainfall is generally of a more uniform type. There is some chance of a snow flurry, with the best probability of its occurrence in January, but a significant amount is rarely measured. An average winter would experience less than one cold wave and severe freeze. Temperatures of 20 degrees or less on the peninsula and along the coast are very unusual.

The most spectacular time of the year, weatherwise, is spring with its rapid changes from windy and cold in March to warm and pleasant in May. Severe local storms are more likely to occur in spring than in summer.

The average occurrence of the first freeze in the fall is early December, and the average last freeze is late February, giving an average growing season of about 294 days.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

CHARLESTON, SC (CHS)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 13880

32 53′ 55″ N  80 02′ 27″ W  GRND:  45  BARO:  48  EASTERN (UTC + 5)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3057.861.068.675.882.787.690.289.084.977.269.561.675.5
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM5659.362.368.576.282.987.690.189.184.676.969.061.375.6
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM59838790949810310410599948883105
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195019891974198919891944198619991944198619611972AUG 1999
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.5675.578.182.888.392.696.496.695.992.486.981.676.987.0
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3037.740.047.553.962.969.172.772.267.956.347.240.755.7
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM5637.940.046.153.161.868.772.271.567.055.646.239.455.0
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM5961215293650585642271586
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198519731980194419631972195219791967197619501962JAN 1985
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.5621.123.829.437.848.258.665.764.355.138.929.422.741.2
NORMAL DRY BULB3047.850.558.164.972.878.381.580.676.466.858.451.265.6
MEAN DRY BULB5648.651.157.364.772.578.181.180.475.866.357.750.465.3
MEAN WET BULB1844.547.551.857.966.072.375.874.870.361.554.346.660.3
MEAN DEW POINT1838.641.545.552.161.769.473.272.467.457.549.941.255.9
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.00.11.24.110.718.115.35.70.40.00.055.6
MAXIMUM 32300.30.1*0.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.5
MINIMUM 323012.28.62.50.10.00.00.00.00.00.12.99.235.6
MINIMUM 0300.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS305484142396600000742334392013
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS30158256324239951248434213035112266
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3070676868727577797874737273
HOUR 01 LST3078778081868788898986848084
HOUR 07 LST3080798283858586898987858284
HOUR 13 LST3055525047535860636154525555
HOUR 19 LST3068646462687174777775747170
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE3956606671706667646163595663
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG(VISBY 1/4 MI)524.12.22.42.12.21.50.71.21.92.53.63.728.1
THUNDERSTORMS590.91.12.22.96.410.113.311.25.41.50.80.656.4
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE-SUNSET (OKTAS)15.62.44.0
MIDNIGHT-MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)15.64.0
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR13.04.011.013.09.0
PARTLY CLOUDY11.02.03.04.011.0
CLOUDY14.03.09.03.02.0
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE(IN)2930.1030.1030.0030.0030.0030.0030.0030.0030.0030.0030.0930.1030.03
MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRES. (IN)1830.1430.1330.0730.0330.0330.0130.0530.0430.0330.0930.1330.1730.08
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)498.99.710.09.78.48.17.77.37.77.98.08.48.5
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)3027202020202020200402020220
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)636333938334436385139323851
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)31192627241736273621202636
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199620001997200120001997200019971999199619962000SEP 1999
MAXIMUM 5-SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)645475249455155486756394867
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)18252426021811263621202536
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200119971997200119991997199919971999199619962000SEP 1999
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)303.453.304.342.674.016.436.847.224.732.902.493.1551.53
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)598.9210.1711.119.509.2827.2418.4616.9917.3112.117.357.0927.24
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199319981983195819571973196419741945199419721953JUN 1973
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)590.630.330.700.010.570.961.760.730.180.080.160.660.01
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195019471995197220001970197219801990200019981984APR 1972
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)593.905.936.634.106.2310.105.815.7710.525.775.243.4010.52
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199319981959195819671973196019641998194419691978SEP 1998
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.013010.08.99.47.18.711.112.413.29.35.76.78.4110.9
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.80.61.30.71.12.02.12.31.31.00.60.914.7
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)300.10.40.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.41.0
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)541.07.12.0T0.0TT0.00.00.0T8.08.0
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19771973196919851995199319951989DEC 1989
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)540.85.92.0T0.0TT0.00.00.0T6.66.6
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19661973196919851995199319951989DEC 1989
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)481710000000088
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE1966197319801989DEC 1989
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0300.00.10.10.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.3
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 CHARLESTON, SC (CHS)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19724.135.182.520.015.675.291.764.521.820.257.354.3642.86
19734.595.576.152.551.8327.243.606.667.930.630.844.5872.17
19741.422.963.040.864.829.453.0916.994.800.403.783.0054.61
19754.923.544.543.745.065.969.347.185.161.971.433.3556.19
19761.620.952.330.628.875.594.485.226.034.103.575.1248.50
19772.721.385.310.454.662.123.868.132.482.491.765.8841.24
19784.311.823.251.974.683.426.194.015.060.181.874.1340.89
19793.433.043.013.818.092.238.350.8815.363.873.292.6257.98
19803.991.257.993.435.853.156.970.732.601.522.191.2540.92
19810.932.232.381.874.026.0412.669.301.271.951.065.7349.44
19822.183.641.266.513.049.165.404.103.922.421.194.2047.02
19834.866.3511.113.570.752.378.892.903.502.363.084.3554.09
19845.123.515.636.306.892.964.871.965.271.671.390.6646.23
19850.872.701.501.122.797.0212.068.482.534.585.491.2150.35
19862.054.172.670.830.932.515.0713.414.602.954.035.2148.43
19877.174.585.551.312.295.642.926.9714.490.563.651.5756.70
19882.762.381.783.211.862.324.1311.889.720.731.080.7242.57
19892.311.172.874.842.147.261.939.1813.354.081.854.7455.72
19903.961.686.631.651.913.125.956.320.187.293.752.6945.13
19917.780.944.664.595.374.547.388.092.290.771.641.6249.67
19924.932.233.592.755.076.224.369.553.044.875.761.5053.87
19938.923.085.802.722.673.704.217.695.013.003.592.3052.69
19947.501.234.440.392.3511.718.075.398.0812.112.926.3570.54
19953.943.730.701.771.316.725.8111.077.983.522.021.0249.59
19961.051.364.042.701.724.047.345.738.775.071.742.1445.70
19972.682.861.816.612.0413.768.512.159.584.123.265.1962.57
19987.5810.175.514.014.633.416.744.4414.741.990.164.3467.72
19994.962.012.152.903.952.323.193.6810.816.201.702.5446.41
20004.042.013.661.780.574.3510.814.478.88T2.722.6545.94
20011.072.316.300.941.368.839.731.654.900.650.531.7139.98
POR=131 YRS3.203.233.732.773.475.297.046.665.313.112.282.8248.91
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) CHARLESTON, SC (CHS)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197254.848.956.964.069.874.080.180.476.467.356.855.765.4
197348.046.161.061.571.778.482.681.079.669.661.451.366.0
197461.851.562.063.674.075.478.279.375.061.855.551.065.8
197553.854.756.962.375.178.579.281.576.869.059.349.766.4
197644.855.962.364.070.375.881.077.273.961.450.948.863.9
197738.746.360.666.472.881.283.881.478.763.561.35.061.6
197843.542.755.266.572.078.681.181.377.465.763.352.765.0
197945.446.857.464.972.475.982.081.476.566.059.448.764.7
198048.745.954.664.371.478.482.482.179.865.055.447.564.6
198141.650.854.367.570.882.783.580.374.864.155.446.264.3
198245.151.559.261.872.278.881.280.074.565.160.957.065.6
198345.649.056.461.071.776.982.882.975.568.957.448.864.7
198446.152.857.664.071.778.879.981.173.071.354.257.265.6
198542.650.560.767.873.679.680.979.975.872.267.347.966.6
198645.855.558.066.174.381.486.179.978.668.863.152.867.5
198747.248.856.862.673.380.183.083.577.861.060.153.565.6
198843.249.257.464.471.976.781.882.076.362.761.050.664.8
198955.655.059.765.372.380.482.880.776.668.760.643.266.7
199055.459.262.566.074.481.083.682.579.270.560.456.469.3
199150.854.960.567.676.378.983.682.077.467.656.054.367.5
199249.555.057.963.670.377.583.980.676.265.160.451.065.9
199353.749.755.961.672.579.585.582.078.367.359.348.566.2
199446.553.461.368.371.179.882.080.075.766.462.554.466.8
199549.750.260.468.576.078.583.482.575.669.853.847.566.3
199648.051.853.764.274.478.381.978.775.465.854.652.364.9
199749.755.164.363.169.274.880.879.076.066.055.249.965.3
199852.553.756.265.275.182.883.881.277.368.662.455.767.9
199953.653.654.967.870.476.482.583.274.766.459.850.566.2
200047.453.260.962.875.679.781.580.375.264.955.342.665.0
200146.454.656.665.272.679.079.880.973.664.863.656.466.1
POR=128 YRS49.651.557.664.672.578.781.380.676.567.257.951.065.8

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 CHARLESTON, SC (CHS)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972–73000332683025205241671411801973
1973–7400034158428131378150114201395
1974–75005136299432350294273152001941
1975–7600040221466624265146941531874
1976–77000159418501808516186581702663
1977–78000112175459663616309521802404
1978–79000578339960250524170201959
1979–8000068203500495555321821702241
1980–8100080287537719393333551602420
1981–8200388291577611372214132302291
1982–83000102154276596440264146201980
1983–8400424230500578347240921602031
1984–850091333724969241818347401952
1985–86002165452658626124474401767
1986–8706056128376545446272131701967
1987–8800013518835866945823985722141
1988–890001071454422863122201211401647
1989–900015016966929418913767001576
1990–910006515228043229318534001441
1991–92000412813494722932341192801817
1992–9300370197430353421279132101886
1993–9400349206504568327152301101850
1994–950004611933846841416735101588
1995–96008443575355183833501071502317
1996–9700054323391467288941062091752
1997–980008729346339131828866001906
1998–9900038113306358315314612001525
1999–000047117544654333914896001822
2000–010018030668757130027294102312
2001–00811094277
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 CHARLESTON, SC (CHS)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19727359316327547548835111030222022
197310504223341255450144518456102488
19744176380288319417450312461832044
197581326743184144495163611715802408
197629737018732950238427452211885
19770154107263493588518417717112584
197800131062424145055143788640212319
1979029712413355335143541054002204
19800976922140754953945187512345
198100913819953958248130766902330
198202424223242051047529311136342197
1983006322173625595673221491042228
198401196722842047150925421221102212
19857175713627644550147033224512952620
198602361143004996624744141827852766
1987002662269459567580389184892427
1988021274229359529534349433042165
1989537641362464705614933581734402587
19904346510530248758354843023824212841
19910205211835642658453137912818252637
1992072083199381592495345796852274
1993704372414406445364101274202488
199407421332104495374733279353172341
199516291463494105775523341982602628
199608688313405531432320871862214
19970177756158309496444336124702024
1998106237732054259250937815843262684
199910161531933515485713031222512284
2000122936336448522481315842502279
20010131610724242346749926911458172225
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 CHARLESTON, SC (CHS)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972–730.00.00.00.00.00.0T7.10.00.00.00.07.1
1973–740.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.00.0T
1974–750.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1975–760.00.00.00.00.00.00.40.00.00.00.00.00.4
1976–770.00.00.00.00.00.01.00.30.00.00.00.01.3
1977–780.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.4T0.00.00.00.4
1978–790.00.00.00.00.00.00.01.80.00.00.00.01.8
1979–800.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T1.30.00.00.01.3
1980–810.00.00.00.00.03.80.00.00.00.00.00.03.8
1981–820.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.0T
1982–830.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.0T
1983–840.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.0T
1984–850.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.0T0.00.0T
1985–860.00.00.00.00.00.00.50.00.00.00.00.00.5
1986–870.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.0T0.00.00.0T
1987–880.00.00.00.00.00.00.40.00.00.00.00.00.4
1988–890.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.9T0.00.0T0.9
1989–900.00.00.00.00.08.00.00.00.00.00.00.08.0
1990–910.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.0T
1991–920.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
1992–930.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.0T
1993–94T0.00.00.00.0T0.00.00.00.00.00.0T
1994–950.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0TT
1995–960.00.00.00.0T0.00.0
1996–97
1997–98
1998–99
1999–00
2000–01
2001–0.00.00.0
POR=53 YRST0.00.00.0T0.30.10.20.1T0.0T0.7

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