210,531 weather records were set or tied in 1956, including 55,477 temperature record highs and 56,235 record lows, and 103,311 of them still stand.
Data as of . Last revised (2026-10-12).
Key Facts
210,531 weather records were set or tied in 1956, including 55,477 record highs and 56,235 record lows of maximum and minimum temperature.
103,311 of the 210,531 records set in 1956 still stand (49.1%).
May 1956 had the most records: 22,362.
United States had the most records in 1956: 111,514, with 44,417 highs and 38,014 lows.
8,170 stations had a full year of temperature data in 1956, so counts differ between years partly because the number of reporting stations does.
Storms in 1956: 25 named storms worldwide, of which 22 reached hurricane strength (64 kt or more) and 10 were major (96 kt or more), with a combined 348.9 ACE.
Highs and Lows
Temperature records set or tied in 1956
Record highs and record lows set or tied in 1956
Record highs
55,477
Record lows
56,235
Still Standing
49.1% of the year's records
Records set in 1956 that still stand or have since been beaten
Still stand
103,311 (49.1%)
Since beaten or tied
107,220 (50.9%)
A record stands until a later observation beats or ties it, as of 2026-10-12.
By Type and Timescale
Records set or tied in 1956 by type
Record daily precipitation
86,337
Record low minimum temperature
30,394
Record high maximum temperature
28,655
Record high minimum temperature
26,822
Record low maximum temperature
25,841
Record daily snowfall
8,975
Record snow depth
3,507
Records set or tied in 1956 by timescale
Daily
203,385
Monthly
6,509
All-time
637
By Month
Weather records set or tied in each calendar month of 1956, all types together.
Records set or tied in each month of 1956
Month
Records
Jan
14,746
Feb
19,717
Mar
20,789
Apr
16,771
May
22,362
Jun
18,230
Jul
14,845
Aug
14,438
Sep
17,754
Oct
15,936
Nov
16,199
Dec
18,744
Countries With the Most Records
Countries with the most records set or tied in 1956
Storms in 1956: 25 named storms worldwide, of which 22 reached hurricane strength (64 kt or more) and 10 were major (96 kt or more), with a combined 348.9 ACE.
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)) Source: International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) v04r01, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, doi:10.25921/82ty-9e16. Some agency values come from third parties such as JMA, IMD and BoM. (NOAA NCEI terms (citation requested)) Data as of 2026-10-12. Records are computed by this site and are not official. Counts depend on how many stations reported.