Weather Records on 23 December 1981

1,127 weather records were set or tied worldwide on 23 December 1981. Highest significance: Versailles, US.

Key Facts for 23 December 1981

On 23 December 1981, 1,127 weather records were set or tied at long-record stations worldwide.
208 were record highs and 75 were record lows, counting maximum and minimum temperature.
By timescale, 1 were all-time records, 34 monthly and 1,092 daily.
Versailles set a daily record precipitation of 41.9 mm (1.6 in) on 23 December 1981.
Across 150 earlier years (1793 to 2025) the same calendar date averaged 542 records.

Record Map

1,127 stations

1,127 station records on 23 December 1981 are marked on the map, coloured by record type. Dot size shows the significance score. Made with Natural Earth.

Weather records on 23 December 1981: highest significance records shown on the map
Station	Country	Type	Value	Significance
Versailles	United States	Record daily precipitation	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	63 of 100 (Major)
Pleasant Hill	United States	Record daily precipitation	38.6 mm (1.5 in)	58 of 100 (Notable)
Lincoln	United States	Record daily snowfall	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	57 of 100 (Notable)
Eldon	United States	Record snow depth	22.9 cm (9.0 in)	54 of 100 (Notable)
Upanema (Dnocs)	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	53.5 mm (2.1 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Bad Bergzabern	Germany	Record snow depth	23.0 cm (9.1 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Bingara (Keera)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	64.5 mm (2.5 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Pforzheim-Eutingen	Germany	Record snow depth	25.0 cm (9.8 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Utsira Fyr	Norway	Record snow depth	40.0 cm (15.7 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Grahamstown	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	45.0 mm (1.8 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Sonneberg-Neufang	Germany	Record snow depth	115.0 cm (45.3 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Watseka Public Works	United States	Record daily snowfall	16.0 cm (6.3 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Bucyrus	United States	Record daily precipitation	32.3 mm (1.3 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Karlsruhe	Germany	Record snow depth	20.0 cm (7.9 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Centralia	United States	Record daily precipitation	27.7 mm (1.1 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Millersburg	United States	Record daily precipitation	26.2 mm (1.0 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Palmares	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	50.2 mm (2.0 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Leipzig-Holzhausen	Germany	Record snow depth	29.0 cm (11.4 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Peddie (Mag)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	41.5 mm (1.6 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Monroeville 1 NW	United States	Record daily precipitation	30.5 mm (1.2 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Hof (Stadt)	Germany	Record snow depth	42.0 cm (16.5 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Mt Vernon 3 NE	United States	Record daily precipitation	31.8 mm (1.3 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Hermann	United States	Record daily snowfall	15.2 cm (6.0 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Marion 2 N	United States	Record daily precipitation	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Piqua	United States	Record daily precipitation	37.1 mm (1.5 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Waldeck	Germany	Record snow depth	39.0 cm (15.4 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
George Airport	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	38.5 mm (1.5 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Farmland 5 NNW	United States	Record daily precipitation	45.0 mm (1.8 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Fremont	United States	Record daily precipitation	27.2 mm (1.1 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
W Manchester 3 WSW	United States	Record daily precipitation	35.6 mm (1.4 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Timbauba	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	38.0 mm (1.5 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Selb/Oberfranken-Wildenau	Germany	Record snow depth	60.0 cm (23.6 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Bloukrans (Bos)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	38.5 mm (1.5 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Greenfield	United States	Record daily precipitation	43.9 mm (1.7 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Shelbyville Sewage Plt	United States	Record daily precipitation	43.9 mm (1.7 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
St Marys 3 W	United States	Record daily precipitation	39.4 mm (1.6 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Croppa Creek (Krui Plains)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	58.8 mm (2.3 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Alzey	Germany	Record snow depth	16.0 cm (6.3 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Arnsberg	Germany	Record snow depth	18.0 cm (7.1 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Neustadt/Weinstrasse	Germany	Record snow depth	16.0 cm (6.3 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Jacksonville 2E	United States	Record daily snowfall	21.6 cm (8.5 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Three Rivers	United States	Record daily snowfall	13.2 cm (5.2 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Metten	Germany	Record snow depth	42.0 cm (16.5 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Noblesville River	United States	Record daily precipitation	35.6 mm (1.4 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Steelville 2 N	United States	Record daily precipitation	27.9 mm (1.1 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
La Rue	United States	Record daily precipitation	30.7 mm (1.2 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Sidney 1 S	United States	Record daily precipitation	37.6 mm (1.5 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Knittlingen	Germany	Record snow depth	21.0 cm (8.3 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Lautertal-Oberlauter	Germany	Record snow depth	41.0 cm (16.1 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Greencastle 1 W	United States	Record daily precipitation	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Bolivar 1 NE	United States	Record daily precipitation	33.5 mm (1.3 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Warrenton 1 N	United States	Record daily snowfall	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Taloga	United States	Record daily snowfall	5.1 cm (2.0 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Rheinstetten	Germany	Record snow depth	25.0 cm (9.8 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Worms	Germany	Record snow depth	15.0 cm (5.9 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Vlakplaats	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	47.0 mm (1.9 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Mt Pulaski	United States	Record daily snowfall	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Kokomo 3 WSW	United States	Record daily precipitation	29.2 mm (1.1 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Martinsville 2 SW	United States	Record daily precipitation	45.7 mm (1.8 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Defiance	United States	Record daily precipitation	26.2 mm (1.0 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)

Counts by Type and Timescale

1,127 records

Records set or tied on 23 December 1981 by type: Highest daily maximum 116, Lowest daily maximum 29, Highest daily minimum 92, Lowest daily minimum 46, Heaviest daily rainfall 468, Heaviest daily snowfall 111, Deepest snow cover 265.

Records on 23 December 1981 by type
Record type	Records
Highest daily maximum	116
Lowest daily maximum	29
Highest daily minimum	92
Lowest daily minimum	46
Heaviest daily rainfall	468
Heaviest daily snowfall	111
Deepest snow cover	265

Records on 23 December 1981 by timescale: all-time 1, monthly 34, daily 1,092.

How Much Records Were Beaten By

956 broken records

Margins by which the 956 broken records beat the old ones, in degrees Celsius for temperature and millimetres for precipitation and snow; the largest margin was 560.0. Ties are not counted.

Top 20 by Significance

23 December 1981

Top 20 records on 23 December 1981 by significance
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
23 December 1981	Versailles, US	daily rain	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	31.2 mm (1.2 in)	58 years	63 of 100 (Major)
23 December 1981	Pleasant Hill, US	daily rain	38.6 mm (1.5 in)	28.4 mm (1.1 in)	58 years	58 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Lincoln, US	daily snowfall	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	12.7 cm (5.0 in)	74 years	57 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Eldon, US	daily snow depth	22.9 cm (9.0 in)	12.7 cm (5.0 in)	68 years	54 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Upanema (Dnocs), BR	daily rain	53.5 mm (2.1 in)	53.5 mm (2.1 in)	50 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Bad Bergzabern, DE	daily snow depth	23.0 cm (9.1 in)	17.0 cm (6.7 in)	31 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Bingara (Keera), AU	daily rain	64.5 mm (2.5 in)	28.9 mm (1.1 in)	60 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Pforzheim-Eutingen, DE	daily snow depth	25.0 cm (9.8 in)	19.0 cm (7.5 in)	24 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Utsira Fyr, NO	daily snow depth	40.0 cm (15.7 in)	20.0 cm (7.9 in)	27 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Grahamstown, ZA	daily rain	45.0 mm (1.8 in)	32.8 mm (1.3 in)	47 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Sonneberg-Neufang, DE	daily snow depth	115.0 cm (45.3 in)	56.0 cm (22.0 in)	28 years	50 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Watseka Public Works, US	daily snowfall	16.0 cm (6.3 in)	10.9 cm (4.3 in)	56 years	50 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Bucyrus, US	daily rain	32.3 mm (1.3 in)	14.5 mm (0.6 in)	74 years	50 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Karlsruhe, DE	daily snow depth	20.0 cm (7.9 in)	12.0 cm (4.7 in)	46 years	49 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Centralia, US	daily rain	27.7 mm (1.1 in)	16.8 mm (0.7 in)	81 years	49 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Millersburg, US	daily rain	26.2 mm (1.0 in)	17.1 mm (0.7 in)	58 years	49 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Palmares, BR	daily rain	50.2 mm (2.0 in)	34.8 mm (1.4 in)	26 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Leipzig-Holzhausen, DE	daily snow depth	29.0 cm (11.4 in)	6.0 cm (2.4 in)	106 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Peddie (Mag), ZA	daily rain	41.5 mm (1.6 in)	31.3 mm (1.2 in)	52 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
23 December 1981	Monroeville 1 NW, US	daily rain	30.5 mm (1.2 in)	21.9 mm (0.9 in)	40 years	48 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 1,127 records.

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

Records on 12-23 in each year
Year	Records
1793	1
1825	1
1829	1
1840	1
1852	1
1855	1
1860	3
1864	1
1868	1
1870	6
1871	2
1875	2
1877	1
1878	1
1880	1
1881	1
1883	2
1887	2
1888	2
1889	2
1891	3
1893	2
1894	5
1896	4
1897	1
1898	4
1899	6
1901	2
1903	5
1904	11
1905	3
1906	16
1907	35
1908	8
1909	59
1910	41
1911	29
1912	36
1913	87
1914	57
1915	59
1916	34
1917	26
1918	51
1919	39
1920	33
1921	219
1922	28
1923	146
1924	257
1925	205
1926	146
1927	100
1928	137
1929	393
1930	141
1931	987
1932	329
1933	734
1934	92
1935	360
1936	370
1937	232
1938	183
1939	264
1940	365
1941	750
1942	534
1943	745
1944	484
1945	752
1946	234
1947	517
1948	528
1949	618
1950	521
1951	405
1952	242
1953	605
1954	348
1955	1,162
1956	496
1957	485
1958	209
1959	352
1960	1,442
1961	320
1962	439
1963	1,391
1964	1,457
1965	653
1966	436
1967	885
1968	891
1969	852
1970	940
1971	695
1972	376
1973	479
1974	611
1975	628
1976	514
1977	663
1978	351
1979	813
1980	516
1981	1,127
1982	1,140
1983	4,533
1984	668
1985	629
1986	571
1987	804
1988	878
1989	3,791
1990	3,241
1991	1,196
1992	504
1993	991
1994	1,091
1995	1,212
1996	1,184
1997	1,016
1998	688
1999	936
2000	746
2001	663
2002	778
2003	766
2004	1,231
2005	903
2006	1,194
2007	873
2008	771
2009	1,073
2010	1,298
2011	735
2012	817
2013	1,235
2014	1,070
2015	1,972
2016	432
2017	621
2018	373
2019	699
2020	916
2021	702
2022	1,426
2023	856
2024	637
2025	1,678

Download the Data

Data for records on 1981-12-23: 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	901
100 to 200	41
200 to 300	10
300 to 400	2
400 to 500	1
500 to 600	1