Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-01-28
1913 A WARM YEAR.
General Summary of Weather Con-
ditions During Past Year.

The year 1913 was somewhat war
mer than the average. The opening
month was mild, with a mean tenn
perature but slightly below that of
the warmest January-in 1890. Tenn
peratures continued above the sea-
sonal average until the close Of
March, followed by series of month
~ deficiencies until the close Of Au-
gust, with two notable periods Of en-
ervatinS heat in July. The autumn
months were cooler than usual, and
the winter Of 19l3-14 opened mild.
The last general spring killing
frost occurred on March 2S; au-
tumn killing frOsts occurred on Octo-
Der % and November 10. The aver
age latest spring killing frost date
OF the section for 1913 was March
is, or four days earlier than nor
NAL; average earliest autumn kill
ing frost date, October 2S, or Is days
earlier than normal. The growing
season for the section as whole
WAS 224 days in legnth, or 9 DAYS
less than the average.
Precipitation showed no great de-
p&rture from the normal until March,
during which month the amounts
ranged close to that Of the wet March
o! 1891, and heavy rains from the
18TH to the 18th were followed by
general floods in the Santee and Pee
Dee river systems, attended by much
unavoidable damage to property, as
mentioned elsewhere. A peculiar ab-
sence OF ample or well distributed
rainfall in the middle and lover Sa-
Vannah drainage area and in many
OF the interior and coast counties
marked the period between the close
OF March and the close of September:
as a consequence. these districts show
general deficiency Of precipitation
for the year, while eXcesses were
quite general in the northern coun-
ties and in the northeastern coast
districts. Moderate freshets in the
Wateree and Santee rivers in Septem-
Der and in the Wateree, Santee and
Pee Dee rivers in November were at
tended by but slight damage. Local
storms were quite numerous during
May, June and August, when conSid-
cradle damage to property resulted
from severe tornadoes and seven per-
sons lost their lives through violent
windstorms and lightning.
During the growing season, March
to September inclusive, the rainfall
ranged about one-half inch below the
seasonal average; deducting the
March excess, this deficiency would
be over inches.
Annual mean temperature, 63.S
degrees, or 90 degree above the 27-
year normal, 2.7 degrees above the
lowest mean of 1901 and IL de-
grees below the highest mean of
1911. The warmest month was July
with a mean Of S1.9 degrees, or 2
degrees above the normal; coldest
month, February, with a mean. of
4S.9 degrees, or 2.3 degrees above
the normal. Highest annual mean
temperature, 66.4 degrees at Charles
ton; lowest, COL degrees at Green
vile. Highest temperature, 100 de-
grees at Greenwood and Santuck
Union county,~on July 10, or within
one degree Of the highest section rec
ord, which was 10 degrees at Ches-
ter on July IS, 1887. Lowest tenn
perature, 16 degrees above zero at
Bowman, Orangehurg county, on De-
cember 10, a reading as high as the
highest section minimum during the
previous 26 years.
Average annual precipitation,
47.57 inches, or 0.53 inch below the
normal determined for 27 years, TT
inches above the lowest section aver
age in 1911 and 7.41 inches below
Greatest amount at any single sta
ton, 59.05 inches at Smith Mills,
Williamsburg county; least amount,
36.1S inches at Columbia. Greatest
monthly amount at any single sta
ton, 1890 inches at Bowman, Or
angeburg county, in March; least
amount, O.10 inch at Little Noun
tain, Newberry county, in April. Av-
erage number Of days with measura-
Bile precipitation, 3d. greatest num-
Der at any single station, 131 at Che
raw; least number, 60, at Aiken, and
Little Mountain
Snowfall in measurable quantities
occurred as follows: Catawba, York
county, 0.3 inch for the year; Pelzer,
0.2; Winthrop College, 0.5.
Average number Of clear days dur
ing the year, 1871; partly couldy, 81;
cloudy, 1O3.
The prevailing winds were from
the southwest and west.
Richard II. Sullivan,
Section Director.
COlumbia G C.