Mildly Dry this week. 1.39” total precip this past week, including 0.71” that fell during the 24-26 Jan Winter/Ice Storm. This includes melted ice in the CoCoRHaS rain gage from the storm. On 24-26 Jan the Wateree and Congaree rivers are running near their normally full levels, a nice increase from the lower levels the past few weeks. But the US Drought Monitor is still showing us in a D1 Moderate Drought condition (maybe due to the reporting delay after the recent rains). SC Forestry app is showing 15 wildfires across SC. Birds and squirrels are actively visiting the feeders in large numbers during the cold weather. Seed mix, mealworms, suet and grape jelly seem to be winners. Both our rain totals and frequency have increased in the last two weeks, so hopefully it’s helping replenish the ground after the long deficit. From Data Explorer: For Jan and the year so far: 1.81” precip, which is -1.33” or 58% of the usual NOAA normal of 3.14”. Last 30 Days: 1.81” where NOAA normal is 7.25” for the period. Last 90 days: 4.83” vs a NOAA normal of 13.52” for the period. Unable to make a hiking trip last week, so no creek/forest updates, but the recent precipitation (all kinds) should have helped the previously dry conditions. Now watching for the possible snowstorm and really cold temps predicted for this coming weekend.