Gusty northwest winds this afternoon ahead of an approaching back door cold front suppressed any possibility of a sea breeze even at the coast today, and may have added a slight touch of compressional (adiabatic) warming to help push readings a little higher than was expected. The Charleston airport reached 91 degrees - which broke the record for April 2 of 90 degrees set just six years ago. The temperature reached 94 degrees around 3:30 pm EDT today at Edisto Island, and the Charleston Executive Airport (Johns Island) also recorded a high of 94. .
On March 29th we came close to 90 degrees for the first time this year - with a high of 89 at Edisto Island. The 87 degrees at Charleston tied the record for that date, set in 1985.
Keep in mind that the area near the coast from just south of Charleston to the Savannah River (which includes Edisto Island) remains in "extreme" drought status, down from "exceptional" at the first of March. but still above "severe.". Even though March ended up above normal with over 6 inches of rain, all but an inch and a half of that fell by the 4th day of the month. Only 2.5 inches fell in January and February, which followed the 36.5 inches for the entire year of 2011 (75% of normal). Little surface moisture remains from the last heavy rains of a month ago to help hold down temperatures on a day like today when everything else is favorable...hence the record highs.
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