Weather Records on 20 December 1981

1,681 weather records were set or tied worldwide on 20 December 1981. Highest significance: Wells, US.

Key Facts for 20 December 1981

On 20 December 1981, 1,681 weather records were set or tied at long-record stations worldwide.
426 were record highs and 740 were record lows, counting maximum and minimum temperature.
By timescale, 6 were all-time records, 88 monthly and 1,587 daily.
Wells set a daily record precipitation of 28.2 mm (1.1 in) on 20 December 1981.
Across 163 earlier years (1793 to 2025) the same calendar date averaged 460 records.

Record Map

1,681 stations

1,681 station records on 20 December 1981 are marked on the map, coloured by record type. Dot size shows the significance score. Made with Natural Earth.

Weather records on 20 December 1981: highest significance records shown on the map
Station	Country	Type	Value	Significance
Wells	United States	Record daily precipitation	28.2 mm (1.1 in)	73 of 100 (Major)
Lagoa da Canoa	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	55.4 mm (2.2 in)	61 of 100 (Major)
Turkestan	Kazakhstan	Record daily precipitation	26.0 mm (1.0 in)	61 of 100 (Major)
Lima	United States	Record daily snowfall	16.5 cm (6.5 in)	60 of 100 (Major)
Vazantes	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	47.9 mm (1.9 in)	59 of 100 (Notable)
Neustadt/Weinstrasse	Germany	Record snow depth	19.0 cm (7.5 in)	56 of 100 (Notable)
Moran 5WNW	United States	Record daily precipitation	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	56 of 100 (Notable)
Yreka	United States	Record daily precipitation	69.9 mm (2.8 in)	55 of 100 (Notable)
Sonneberg-Neufang	Germany	Record snow depth	117.0 cm (46.1 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Utsira Fyr	Norway	Record snow depth	47.0 cm (18.5 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Palmares	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	46.6 mm (1.8 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Rheinstetten	Germany	Record snow depth	30.0 cm (11.8 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Alzey	Germany	Record snow depth	20.0 cm (7.9 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Blagovescensk	Russia	Record high minimum temperature	-9.2 C (15.4 F)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Manistee 3SE	United States	Record daily snowfall	25.4 cm (10.0 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Vanersborg	Sweden	Record low maximum temperature	-10.5 C (13.1 F)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Virginia City	United States	Record daily precipitation	39.4 mm (1.6 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Lac la Ronge	Canada	Record daily snowfall	12.6 cm (5.0 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Waldeck	Germany	Record snow depth	39.0 cm (15.4 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Georgetown Rs	United States	Record daily precipitation	157.2 mm (6.2 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Manti	United States	Record high maximum temperature	17.2 C (63.0 F)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Bad Muskau	Germany	Record snow depth	19.0 cm (7.5 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Halmstad	Sweden	Record low maximum temperature	-7.4 C (18.7 F)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Kaneohe Bay MCAS	United States	Record daily precipitation	49.0 mm (1.9 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Anadia	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	50.0 mm (2.0 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Sao Miguel Dos Campos	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	44.1 mm (1.7 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Tarpon Spgs Sewage Plt	United States	Record low maximum temperature	7.8 C (46.0 F)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Newnan 7 WNW	United States	Record low minimum temperature	-15.0 C (5.0 F)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Knittlingen	Germany	Record snow depth	22.0 cm (8.7 in)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Buxton	United Kingdom	Record low minimum temperature	-12.4 C (9.7 F)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Auburn	United States	Record daily precipitation	102.1 mm (4.0 in)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Plattsmouth 1E	United States	Record snow depth	15.2 cm (6.0 in)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Hawthorne AP	United States	Record high minimum temperature	5.6 C (42.1 F)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Sacramento 5 ESE	United States	Record high maximum temperature	18.9 C (66.0 F)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Vitoria de Santo Antao	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	38.5 mm (1.5 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Dundurn	Canada	Record daily snowfall	10.0 cm (3.9 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Koebenhavn: Landbohojskolen-1	Denmark	Record low maximum temperature	-4.6 C (23.7 F)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Greifswald	Germany	Record snow depth	13.0 cm (5.1 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Essen-Bredeney	Germany	Record snow depth	12.0 cm (4.7 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Weissenfels	Germany	Record snow depth	18.0 cm (7.1 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Homestead Exp STN	United States	Record low maximum temperature	15.6 C (60.1 F)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Seymour 1 WSW	United States	Record low minimum temperature	-28.9 C (-20.0 F)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Conception	United States	Record snow depth	22.9 cm (9.0 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Newberry	United States	Record low minimum temperature	-11.7 C (10.9 F)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Kronach	Germany	Record snow depth	29.0 cm (11.4 in)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Bradford	United Kingdom	Record low minimum temperature	-10.5 C (13.1 F)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Sheffield	United Kingdom	Record low minimum temperature	-6.5 C (20.3 F)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Palestine	United States	Record low minimum temperature	-23.3 C (-9.9 F)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Hawthorne AP	United States	Record high maximum temperature	20.0 C (68.0 F)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Nordby (Fano)	Denmark	Record low maximum temperature	-8.5 C (16.7 F)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Kaiserslautern	Germany	Record snow depth	16.0 cm (6.3 in)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Heilbronn	Germany	Record snow depth	22.0 cm (8.7 in)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Teuschnitz	Germany	Record snow depth	73.0 cm (28.7 in)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Wrixum/Fohr	Germany	Record low maximum temperature	-6.8 C (19.8 F)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Livingston	United States	Record low minimum temperature	-14.4 C (6.1 F)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Boulder	United States	Record high minimum temperature	8.3 C (46.9 F)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Kokomo 3 WSW	United States	Record low minimum temperature	-22.8 C (-9.0 F)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm	United States	Record low minimum temperature	-25.6 C (-14.1 F)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Ft Kent	United States	Record daily snowfall	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Sterling	United States	Record snow depth	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	36 of 100 (Notable)

Counts by Type and Timescale

1,681 records

Records set or tied on 20 December 1981 by type: Highest daily maximum 231, Lowest daily maximum 283, Highest daily minimum 195, Lowest daily minimum 457, Heaviest daily rainfall 231, Heaviest daily snowfall 42, Deepest snow cover 242.

Records on 20 December 1981 by type
Record type	Records
Highest daily maximum	231
Lowest daily maximum	283
Highest daily minimum	195
Lowest daily minimum	457
Heaviest daily rainfall	231
Heaviest daily snowfall	42
Deepest snow cover	242

Records on 20 December 1981 by timescale: all-time 6, monthly 88, daily 1,587.

How Much Records Were Beaten By

1,379 broken records

Margins by which the 1,379 broken records beat the old ones, in degrees Celsius for temperature and millimetres for precipitation and snow; the largest margin was 600.0. Ties are not counted.

Top 20 by Significance

20 December 1981

Top 20 records on 20 December 1981 by significance
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
20 December 1981	Wells, US	daily rain	28.2 mm (1.1 in)	18.0 mm (0.7 in)	85 years	73 of 100 (Major)
20 December 1981	Lagoa da Canoa, BR	daily rain	55.4 mm (2.2 in)	45.4 mm (1.8 in)	60 years	61 of 100 (Major)
20 December 1981	Turkestan, KZ	daily rain	26.0 mm (1.0 in)	13.9 mm (0.5 in)	52 years	61 of 100 (Major)
20 December 1981	Lima, US	daily snowfall	16.5 cm (6.5 in)	14.0 cm (5.5 in)	42 years	60 of 100 (Major)
20 December 1981	Vazantes, BR	daily rain	47.9 mm (1.9 in)	40.8 mm (1.6 in)	47 years	59 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Neustadt/Weinstrasse, DE	daily snow depth	19.0 cm (7.5 in)	14.0 cm (5.5 in)	40 years	56 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Moran 5WNW, US	daily rain	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	18.0 mm (0.7 in)	48 years	56 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Yreka, US	daily rain	69.9 mm (2.8 in)	22.9 mm (0.9 in)	85 years	55 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Sonneberg-Neufang, DE	daily snow depth	117.0 cm (46.1 in)	60.0 cm (23.6 in)	19 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Utsira Fyr, NO	daily snow depth	47.0 cm (18.5 in)	35.0 cm (13.8 in)	14 years	47 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Palmares, BR	daily rain	46.6 mm (1.8 in)	33.6 mm (1.3 in)	20 years	46 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Rheinstetten, DE	daily snow depth	30.0 cm (11.8 in)	23.0 cm (9.1 in)	12 years	46 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Alzey, DE	daily snow depth	20.0 cm (7.9 in)	16.0 cm (6.3 in)	12 years	46 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Blagovescensk, RU	daily high min	-9.2 C (15.4 F)	6.4 C (11.5 F)	86 years	46 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Manistee 3SE, US	daily snowfall	25.4 cm (10.0 in)	14.7 cm (5.8 in)	26 years	45 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Vanersborg, SE	daily low max	-10.5 C (13.1 F)	2.5 C (4.5 F)	94 years	44 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Virginia City, US	daily rain	39.4 mm (1.6 in)	32.5 mm (1.3 in)	12 years	44 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Lac la Ronge, CA	daily snowfall	12.6 cm (5.0 in)	6.2 cm (2.4 in)	48 years	43 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Waldeck, DE	daily snow depth	39.0 cm (15.4 in)	19.0 cm (7.5 in)	28 years	43 of 100 (Notable)
20 December 1981	Georgetown Rs, US	daily rain	157.2 mm (6.2 in)	95.0 mm (3.7 in)	26 years	43 of 100 (Notable)

Significance is a score from 0 to 100 combining margin, the age of the old record and the length of the station's record. How it is computed.

The Same Date in Other Years

1793 to 1981

Records set or tied on this calendar date in each year from 1793 to 1981. 1981 had 1,681 records.

Counts for years before the ledger starts come from the same station rules.

Records on 12-20 in each year
Year	Records
1793	1
1795	1
1804	1
1805	2
1808	1
1815	1
1828	1
1837	1
1846	1
1855	8
1858	1
1860	1
1866	1
1867	1
1868	1
1869	1
1871	2
1874	3
1875	1
1877	2
1878	1
1879	1
1880	1
1881	1
1882	1
1884	4
1885	1
1886	4
1889	4
1890	2
1891	2
1892	1
1894	2
1895	8
1896	1
1897	4
1898	2
1899	1
1900	7
1901	8
1902	14
1903	17
1904	9
1905	5
1906	5
1907	11
1908	5
1909	22
1910	17
1911	24
1912	27
1913	7
1914	43
1915	18
1916	45
1917	33
1918	18
1919	25
1920	22
1921	101
1922	88
1923	215
1924	332
1925	96
1926	163
1927	200
1928	93
1929	256
1930	67
1931	536
1932	170
1933	492
1934	265
1935	152
1936	416
1937	181
1938	240
1939	308
1940	965
1941	633
1942	817
1943	193
1944	340
1945	430
1946	327
1947	385
1948	345
1949	1,141
1950	758
1951	926
1952	394
1953	385
1954	416
1955	726
1956	471
1957	1,354
1958	382
1959	142
1960	354
1961	369
1962	475
1963	875
1964	499
1965	353
1966	555
1967	1,370
1968	482
1969	514
1970	518
1971	441
1972	448
1973	1,184
1974	328
1975	610
1976	382
1977	484
1978	910
1979	600
1980	667
1981	1,681
1982	712
1983	2,995
1984	1,411
1985	1,035
1986	321
1987	1,179
1988	760
1989	1,812
1990	1,885
1991	1,172
1992	1,134
1993	1,266
1994	813
1995	1,128
1996	1,448
1997	651
1998	1,110
1999	938
2000	1,150
2001	523
2002	943
2003	1,315
2004	836
2005	515
2006	1,387
2007	986
2008	1,356
2009	1,502
2010	2,055
2011	846
2012	1,131
2013	584
2014	524
2015	1,238
2016	603
2017	688
2018	592
2019	731
2020	554
2021	442
2022	567
2023	1,242
2024	897
2025	1,166

Download the Data

Data for records on 1981-12-20: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.

Sources: Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Made with Natural Earth. Public domain map data. Borders are Natural Earth's de facto depiction. Data as of 2026-10-16 (16 October 2026). Records are computed by this site and are not official.

Data as of 2026-10-16. Last revised 16 October 2026 (2026-10-16).

Margin	Records
0 to 100	1,341
100 to 200	30
200 to 300	4
300 to 400	2
400 to 500	1
500 to 600	1