High pressure over the western Atlantic and low pressure inland contributed to strong thunderstorms developing within a hot and moist airmass over the Southeast.
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The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.
High pressure over the western Atlantic and low pressure inland contributed to strong thunderstorms developing within a hot and moist airmass over the Southeast.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 18, 2:54 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 354 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2016 .SYNOPSIS... High pressure centered offshore will weaken and sag south through late week while a surface trough develops inland. The trough will persist over the region during the weekend. A cold front will move south through the area early next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... Rest of today: Convection continues to expand in coverage, with multiple strong to marginally-severe cells inland of our CWA. With DCAPEs as high as 1100-1200 J/kg and SBCAPEs in excess of 3500 Joules, an isolated marginally-severe cell cannot be ruled out within the local forecast area. The primary threat from the strongest storms will be wind, but slow storm motion and efficient precipitation production may contribute to localized nuisance flooding. Convection is expected to wane but perhaps not entirely dissipate with the loss of diurnal heating. Tonight: The forecast area remains under the influence of weakening and retreating Atlantic high pressure. A trough will begin to establish itself inland through the remainder of today into tonight. Given enough lingering moisture and instability, some semblance of shower/thunderstorm activity could remain throughout the night across our area depending on how mesoscale boundaries set up. Slight chance POPs will remain in place through the overnight hours for most locations. Lows will range from the mid to upper 70s, warmest near the coast. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/... Friday and Friday night: The day will start with the mid/upper level ridge centered along the Florida panhandle, with a weakening trend through the overnight as the pattern flattens out. At the surface, high pressure over the Atlantic will begin to weaken and the development of an inland trough will become the primary feature through the period. There is virtually nothing aloft to help focus convective development aloft, so diurnal development will be centered around the inland trough and surface heating. It certainly looks like mid range chance PoP's are warranted, with most of the activity inland of the coast. The prevailing low level flow will be more west-southwest, so the afternoon seabreeze will likely be more progressive across southeast South Carolina and more pinned along the coast in southeast Georgia. Overall, the severe weather threat is low thanks to a rather generic environment. Should be another warm afternoon with highs reaching the mid 90s in many areas. Overnight, any lingering convection will diminish with the loss of heating and rest of the overnight should be rain free. Typical lows in the mid to upper 70s. Saturday through Sunday: The forecast area will remain on the northern periphery of the large ridge across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean and in a general area of zonal flow. Again, no significant shortwaves are progged to translate through in the westerly flow, so afternoon and evening convection will depend on surface heating and action within the inland trough. Saturday's coverage looks quite similar to Friday, while Sunday looks quite muted ahead of a cold front approaching from the west. Each day, the low level flow will take on a more westerly component, which will help result in above normal temperatures despite the lowered heights aloft. The forecast is a bit above guidance, featuring mid 90s each day with even some potential for upper 90s across southeast Georgia. The severe weather threat remains low with only very marginal severe weather parameters. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... Global models are in relatively good agreement that a cold front will approach the region on Monday but likely wait until Monday Night and early Tuesday before advancing through the forecast area. Monday will see mid 90s for most areas once again with a chance of showers and tstms ahead of front. Cooler high pressure will then build north of the forecast area through the middle of next week. The flow will turn onshore by mid week and highs are expected to only reach the mid to upper 80s by Wednesday. South Carolina areas look to see mainly dry weather after the front while isolated to scattered showers and a few tstms are possible in South Georgia, mainly to the south of I-16 from Tuesday onward. && .AVIATION /20Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Expect primarily VFR conditions at both KCHS and KSAV, but scattered showers/thunderstorms are developing across the forecast area, and there are increasing chances for convection near either terminal into the evening hours. The probability for direct impacts and coincident flight restrictions at either terminal today remains relatively low. TAFs mention thunderstorms in the vicinity of both terminals from 18-01Z, and radar trends will be closely monitored to determine if amendments will be necessary prior to the next regular issuance. Extended Aviation Outlook: Expect prevailing VFR conditions, but brief flight restrictions in lowering ceilings and/or reduced vsbys if terminals are directly impacted by showers and/or thunderstorms, primarily during the afternoon and evening hours each day. && .MARINE... Tonight: Atlantic high pressure will continue to retreat eastward while a surface trough develops inland, resulting in primarily southerly to southwesterly winds 10-15 knots. Weak surging overnight appears likely, with gusts expected to top out at less than 20 knots. Seas will remain 2-3 ft. Friday through Tuesday: The local waters will be stuck between the offshore high and the inland surface trough through the weekend. This setup will drive a persistent southwest flow through this period, with wind speeds mainly in the 10-15 knot range. Speeds will likely increase to 15-20 knots periodically, primarily with the sea breeze along the land/sea interface in the afternoon and evening. Then in the Sunday night into Monday time period, a cold front is expected to push through and turn the wind more northwest for a time before becoming more disorganized through Tuesday. Seas will stay in the 2-3 ft range through the period. && .CLIMATE... The record high minimum temperature at KCXM for August 18 is 82 degrees set in 1998. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM...JMC SHORT TERM...BSH LONG TERM... AVIATION...BSH/JMC MARINE...BSH/JMC CLIMATE...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 354 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2016 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>052-190800- CHARLESTON HARBOR- WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH SC OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM EDISTO BEACH SC TO SAVANNAH GA OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA OUT 20 NM...INCLUDING GRAYS REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM-JENKINS-SCREVEN-CANDLER-BULLOCH-EFFINGHAM-TATTNALL-EVANS- INLAND BRYAN-COASTAL BRYAN-INLAND CHATHAM-COASTAL CHATHAM-LONG- INLAND LIBERTY-COASTAL LIBERTY-INLAND MCINTOSH-COASTAL MCINTOSH- ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-DORCHESTER-INLAND BERKELEY- INLAND JASPER-BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON-COASTAL JASPER- TIDAL BERKELEY- 354 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:04 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Buckhead Road near Berea Road. Damage was associated with a thunderstorm outflow.
Law enforcement reported a tree down near 1080 Thomas Walters Road.
Law enforcement reported a tree down on Pineville Circle.
The Dorchester County 911 Call Center reported three trees down near Reevesville. The first tree was located at the intersection of Winningham Road and Reeves Farm Road. The second tree was located at the intersection of Independent School Road and White Stone Drive. The third tree was located at the intersection of Lemon Grove Road and St Mark Bowman Road.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down at the intersection of Cross Swamp Road and Connley Road.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down at the intersection of Miles Jamison Road and Greenhurst Avenue.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 2016
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 653312, 653314, 653315, 653319, 653320, 653323.