COLUMBIA, S.C. — Spring showers bring May flowers is how the saying goes.
So, why is it that we're in the middle of the month of March and it's been raining for the last two weeks like it does in the Spring?
Technically, it is still Winter season until Spring officially begins on the evening of March 19th.
Half of the month has already recorded a hair over five and a half inches of total rainfall.
Weekend rainfall chances go down but temperatures stay unseasonably warm.
Seems a lot.
It IS a lot.
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Climatologically, March 15 should have total accumulated rainfall of just over one and three quarter inches of water. Current total isn't a record but the amount of rainfall we got on March 6, 2024 was a daily record.
Keep in mind we still have another two weeks plus before the end of the month.
Thursday's weather forecast computer models did a great job indicating showers and thunderstorms were to roll through central South Carolina by midday for a few hours.
The rainfall did come through and quickly enough that as hard as it came down, it produce a lot of accumulations.
Beneficial rainfall, for sure, and thankfully it was not a lot of it and wasn't for the whole day or evening. This will keep many locations from having any imminent threat of flooding.
So why are we getting so much rainfall occurring so many times?
Simply put, our weather patterns in South Carolina have been the set-ups of what we usually get in April.
Warmer air temperatures in the 70's, check.
Dew point temperatures in the 60's to 70's, check.
Strong southwest flow, check.
And finally the cold front associated weather complexes moving from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Carolinas, check and check.
Front's moving through the southeast coastal Atlantic states is normal for March.
Air temperatures in the 60's and dew point temperatures in the 40's is also seasonally normal.
Air and dew point temperatures this month has not been normal and that's an issue leading to the abundant rainfall chances and amounts.
The current WLTX News19 7 Day Forecast has a very slight chance for Sunday and next Tuesday so we can enjoy several rain-free days.
But if this month's trend continues following the weather forecast computer models in the near future, we could be seeing a return of more rainfall as we go through the end of the month starting next Saturday.
Keep the umbrella handy and stay tuned.
