439,761 weather records were set or tied in 1996, including 151,877 temperature record highs and 135,132 record lows, and 250,247 of them still stand.
Data as of . Last revised (2026-10-12).
Key Facts
439,761 weather records were set or tied in 1996, including 151,877 record highs and 135,132 record lows of maximum and minimum temperature.
250,247 of the 439,761 records set in 1996 still stand (56.9%).
February 1996 had the most records: 50,147.
United States had the most records in 1996: 221,166, with 71,798 highs and 70,739 lows.
10,446 stations had a full year of temperature data in 1996, so counts differ between years partly because the number of reporting stations does.
Storms in 1996: 80 named storms worldwide, of which 51 reached hurricane strength (64 kt or more) and 27 were major (96 kt or more), with a combined 612.3 ACE.
Highs and Lows
Temperature records set or tied in 1996
Record highs and record lows set or tied in 1996
Record highs
151,877
Record lows
135,132
Still Standing
56.9% of the year's records
Records set in 1996 that still stand or have since been beaten
Still stand
250,247 (56.9%)
Since beaten or tied
189,514 (43.1%)
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 1996 by type
Record daily precipitation
115,705
Record high maximum temperature
77,070
Record high minimum temperature
74,807
Record low maximum temperature
70,604
Record low minimum temperature
64,528
Record snow depth
20,815
Record daily snowfall
16,232
Records set or tied in 1996 by timescale
Daily
416,837
Monthly
20,548
All-time
2,376
By Month
Weather records set or tied in each calendar month of 1996, all types together.
Records set or tied in each month of 1996
Month
Records
Jan
41,724
Feb
50,147
Mar
34,335
Apr
31,827
May
42,844
Jun
29,834
Jul
34,435
Aug
31,766
Sep
30,097
Oct
32,848
Nov
39,425
Dec
40,479
Countries With the Most Records
Countries with the most records set or tied in 1996
Storms in 1996: 80 named storms worldwide, of which 51 reached hurricane strength (64 kt or more) and 27 were major (96 kt or more), with a combined 612.3 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.