Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for December 20, in any year, each linked to its full record.
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Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Floods
St. Lucia's flood (Sint-Luciavloed) was a storm tide that affected the Netherlands and Northern Germany on 13/14 December 1287 (OS), St.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Earthquakes
The 1942 Niksar–Erbaa earthquake in Turkey occurred at 16:03 local time on 20 December. 0 and a maximum felt intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale, causing 3,000 casualties.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck S Coast, Honshu, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1,362 people, destroyed 11,661 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck S Coast, Honshu, Japan, with a maximum water height of 6.6 meters. It killed 1,362 people, destroyed 11,661 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Winter storms and snow
Ohio River Snow Storm of 2004 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Ohio Valley. It lasted from December 20, 2004 to December 24, 2004.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Niksar, Erbaa, Turkey. It killed 1,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Seionaikai, Japan. It killed 1,000 people, destroyed 1,713 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Seionaikai, Japan, with a maximum water height of 2 meters. It killed 1,000 people, destroyed 1,713 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Doris reached its peak of 150 kt (175 mph) with a central pressure of 970 mb, a category 5 storm.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Eje Cafetero, Colombia. It killed 23 people and injured 100.
Billion-dollar disasters
A freeze disaster that cost $4.9 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 20, 1998 to December 28, 1998.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Humboldt County, California, United States. It killed 2 people, injured 17, destroyed 150 houses and did $250 million in damage.
21 on December 20, oldest first.
An F3 tornado touched down in Monroe County, Alabama and tracked 1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
From the same storm system 3/4 inch hail was reported covering the ground 2 nm n of Watsonville. The hail damaged a large greenhouse. In a separate report there was golf ball sized hail reported in the same area.
A small, but potent, storm system evolved and moved east across the region during the first half of the day.
A tornado occurred during the morning hours of the 20th and affected the DeQuincy hospital.
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front during the early morning hours. These storms produced several reports of wind damage and one of the storms produced a tornado that moved across portions of the city of Mobile.
A cold front moved into northwest Arkansas on the morning of the 20th and lingered in the state until the night of the 21st. While the front was making its way slowly across the state, an area of low pressure arrived from the southwest.
A squall line took shape across west-central Louisiana early to mid afternoon on the 21st. The squall line gradually moved to the east with some strong storms and embedded supercells developing in the ArkLaMiss Delta.
A weak cold front and a short wave moved through the region during the early morning of the 20th. A pair of tornadoes developed along the cold front in Calcasieu Parish.
A warm front lifted north across East Texas and North Louisiana to along the Arkansas/Louisiana border during the afternoon hours of December 19th, focusing showers a large area of rain north of this boundary over portions of extreme Northeast Texas, Southeast Oklahoma, and…
A line of showers, with embedded thunderstorms, developed along a cold front sweeping through north Georgia during the late morning and through the afternoon.
A weak cold front and a short wave moved through the region during the early morning of the 20th. One tornado developed.
Low pressure moving through the Lower Mississippi River Valley triggered a line of thunderstorms that moved through southwest Mississippi and southeast Louisiana during the early morning hours of the 20th. An isolated tornado was reported over southwest Mississippi.
A strong cold front moved southeast through the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida Peninsula on the 20th, preceded by a squall line. The storms produced 4 tornadoes, and damaging wind gusts, in addition to strong gradient winds behind the front on the 21st.
A warm front and a deep upper trough west of the area produced a tornado.
3 on December 20, oldest first.
Hurricane Doris reached its peak of 150 kt (175 mph) with a central pressure of 970 mb, a category 5 storm.
Hurricane Alibera reached its peak of 135 kt (155 mph) with a central pressure of 954 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Axel reached its peak of 115 kt (130 mph) with a central pressure of 960 mb, a category 4 storm.
10 on December 20, oldest first.
St. Lucia's flood (Sint-Luciavloed) was a storm tide that affected the Netherlands and Northern Germany on 13/14 December 1287 (OS), St.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Two homes were reported flooded and residents were evacuated. A business received major water damage when flood waters entered the building.
General 2 inch rainfall with isolated totals to nearly 5 inches caused brief flash flooding over the western part of Travis County, as reported by the Austin Fire Department. Nearly 3 inches of the rainfall came in less than 3 hours.
A strong upper level storm system and associated slow moving cold front moved into the southern plains on the 20th. Rich moisture spread across the area ahead of the low pressure system. Widespread rain and thunderstorms formed and moved repeatedly over the same locations.
Streets were closed due to flooding.
Street flooding in Humble. Magnolia Bar & Grill (SW Houston) roof collapsed due to heavy rain.
A home was reported flooded by high water.
A stationary boundary was draped across the Adirondacks of New York into portions of central and northern New England from December 20th through 22nd with several disturbances delivering precipitation.
A stationary boundary was draped across the Adirondacks of New York into portions of central and northern New England from December 20th through 22nd with several disturbances delivering precipitation.
Several low pressure systems lifted through the Appalachians between the 20th and 24th. The strongest impacted the area on the 21st with moderate to heavy rain totaling 1.25 to 1.5 inches over 24 hours.
24 on December 20, oldest first.
Five construction workers were injured, 2 seriously, when a sudden wind gust blew over a 30-ft high retaining wall they were working on in western Lakewood. The scaffolding they were standing on collapsed and some were pinned under the rubble for at least 15 minutes.
Hail covering the ground.
Damaging downslope winds developed along the Front Range and spread into the adjacent plains. Peak wind gusts approached 100 mph along the foothills of Boulder and Larimer Counties.
A strong cold front out of southern Canada moved southeast through western and central North Dakota producing widespread strong winds to the region. Sustained winds greater than 40 mph with occasional gust over 50 mph were common across the area.
Damaging non-thunderstorm winds, likely caused by what is known in meteorological terms a gravity wave, occurred in two main swaths in north central and northeast Alabama. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph were observed, with gusts around 50 mph.
An atmospheric gravity wave brought gusty winds to a large part of Central Alabama during the afternoon and early evening hours on December 20, 2007.
A warm front moved northward during the day of 12/19 and became stationary near the Arkansas/Louisiana border.
A thunderstorm squall line moved across southeast Mississippi damaging trees and power lines.
Strong offshore pressure differences across western Washington produced strong winds to exposed parts of the area.
Abundant low level moisture ahead of a strong cold front aided the development of a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS). One of the storms produced heavy damage in northwestern Lauderdale County Alabama.
A strong low pressure system moved just north of central Indiana, producing widespread rainfall followed by very strong winds. Non-thunderstorm winds gusted over 55 mph at times. The rain eventually changed to snow. Minor snow accumulations were observed.
Unusually gusty winds occurred in Arkansas on the 20th, due to the pressure difference between low pressure to the northeast of the state and high pressure to the west. Most parts of the County Warning Area measured wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph.
A powerful low pressure system and cold front moved over the ArkLaMiss region during the early morning hours of December 20th.
A cold front tracked across the region triggering high non-thunderstorms wind over the area on the 20th. The strongest wind occurred across the higher elevations where most of the wind damage reports were reported. Wind gusts as high as 100 mph were reported.
A very unstable airmass developed across the Four State region during the afternoon and evening hours of December 12th. A potent upper level storm system moved out of the Inter Mountain West and into the Southern Plains during the afternoon as well.
A strong low pressure system tracked northeast across the St. Louis area into northern Illinois. Strong west winds developed behind a cold front that swept across western Kentucky. West winds were sustained from 20 to 35 mph, with frequent gusts from 40 to 55 mph.
A strong low pressure system tracked northeast across the St. Louis area into northern Illinois. Strong west winds developed behind a cold front that swept across southern Illinois. West winds were sustained from 20 to 35 mph, with frequent gusts from 40 to 55 mph.
A powerful low pressure system and cold front moved over the ArkLaMiss region during the early morning hours of December 20th.
An intense upper low was rotating through the mid-Atlantic region during the period. An equally intense surface low and occluded front was located across the eastern Ohio valley.
Low pressure began to deepen rapidly over Missouri during the early morning hours on December 20th. By late afternoon, this cyclone reached its lowest pressure of 983mb right over Chicago.
A strong cold front pushed through South Louisiana with strong showers and storms along the boundary. Wind gusts in these storms were commonly in the 45 to 55 MPH range as they moved from northwest to southeast.
A line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front that moved through southeast Louisiana during the morning hours. Several reports of severe weather were received.
An intense upper low was rotating through the mid-Atlantic region during the period. An equally intense surface low and occluded front was located across the eastern Ohio valley.
With a strong high north of the islands and low pressure to the west, trade winds became breezy to strong over most of the state. Trees and power poles were downed by the winds, especially on Oahu. However, no serious injuries were reported.
47 on December 20, oldest first.
Snowstorm of December 20, 1948 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from December 20, 1948 to December 25, 1948.
The heaviest snow in many years caused a number of problems in the Shasta-Cascades region and in the Sierra Nevada range.
A powerful winter storm ravaged the Greater Lake Tahoe area over a two and a half day period. The main portion of the storm dumped heavy snow over the region from late Friday night (20th) into early Sunday morning (22nd).
On 12/20/96 - Six to nine inches of new snow at Seeley Lake Area, eight inches at Darby, and seven inches at Big Fork and Heron.On 12/21/96 - Ten inches of new snow at Kalispell, eight to ten inches at Lookout Pass and between Clearwater Junction and Condon, seven inches of new…
A broad trough spread a series of disturbances into Utah during this time. Periods of heavy snow occurred in the mountains and Cache valley. Alta received a storm total of 47 inches. In southern Utah, Duck Creek Village reported 21 inches.
A powerful winter storm crippled the Reno-Carson City-Minden area over a two and a half day period. The main portion of the storm dumped heavy snow over the region from late Friday night (20th) into early Sunday morning (22nd).
On this day in 1997, an ice storm occurred over a large portion of western Oklahoma. Freezing rain began falling during the evening and lasted into the next day. Numerous large tree limbs snapped, littering the streets of many towns. Many main and secondary power lines were downed, cutting power to thousands of western Oklahomans. Blaine and Woodward Counties were hit particularly hard, especially Canton and Mooreland, as power outages lasted several days.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
During the night of December 20-21, one to 4 inches of snow fell across northern Idaho. One man died when his car slid off the road between St. Maries and Plummer.
Freezing drizzle and snow caused icy road conditions and resulted in 4 fatal accidents which killed 4 people. A two vehicle accident occurred on Highway 10 near Eudora. and killed a woman.
In conjunction with the freeze event affecting area agriculture, the combination of moisture and unusally cold air led to the development of black ice on Central San Joaquin Valley roadways.
A prolonged period of light freezing drizzle or light freezing rain plagued all of western and central Oklahoma on the 20th and 21st of December producing a thin layer of ice on most roads.
Periods of light rain, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and light snow caused numerous traffic accidents across west central, central, southwest, and south central Missouri.
A strong Low in the North Pacific moved north over the Alaska Peninsula on the evening of the 21st, then northeast over the interior of Alaska on the 22nd, with a second low developing just beyond the northeast corner of Alaska on the afternoon of the 22nd.
High pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
High pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
High pressure over the Canadian Maritimes resulted in a supply of cold air in the low layers of the atmosphere across Vermont while milder moist air moved in at higher levels.
Yet another Alberta Clipper storm chugged into the upper Midwest during the early morning hours of 12/20, this time tracking from the high Plains into Minnesota and Wisconsin. The system brought periods of heavy snow to the area.
A winter storm brought heavy snow and slick roads to much of Northern Utah, causing several accidents. The snow was also blamed for a fatality, as a driver lost control of his vehicle on the snowy roads between Grantsville and Wendover, rolling it into the medium.
Ohio River Snow Storm of 2004 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Ohio Valley. It lasted from December 20, 2004 to December 24, 2004.
A cold front moved southeast from Canada and triggered snow showers across northern VT. Steadiest snow was along the western slopes of the Green Mountains, and west facing slopes of other hilly terrain. Snowfall in these areas was generally between 3 and 5 inches.
A slow moving low pressure system moved from the Desert Southwest and into Southeastern Colorado. As a result, a deep upslope flow developed along the Front Range and Northeast Plains of Colorado.
A slow moving winter storm produced blizzard conditions over much of southeastern Wyoming, producing whiteout conditions, drifts up to 5 feet and closing most roads. One person died during the storm while attempting to find aid after becoming stranded in their vehicle.
Freezing rain and snow fell over part of southeast South Dakota in the western Missouri to James River area, from Gregory and Pickstown in the west to Mitchell and Freeman in the east.
The third in a series of an unusually cold storm systems brought heavy snow accumulations to northwest Oregon. The heavy snowfall created a significant impact to many communities across northwest Oregon.
The third in a series of an unusually cold storm systems brought heavy snow accumulations to southwest Washington. The heavy snowfall created a significant impact to many communities across southwest Washington.
Heavy amounts of snow fell over much of Western Washington. In a few areas, the snow was combined with strong winds and poor visibility to create blizzard conditions.
Round two of two powerful winter storms plagued the upper Midwest in less than 48 hours as another fast moving system brought substantial snowfall, low temperatures, blizzard conditions and dangerously cold wind chills values.
Northwest winds sustained around 30 mph, with gusts over 40 mph, combined with existing loose snow cover and generally light new snowfall to cause frequent visibilities below a quarter mile in blowing snow. Drifting snow closed several roads.
Southern Wisconsin recorded accumulating snow in most areas as a warm front passed through the region under an upper-level disturbance.
A light snow and sleet mix fell during the day across southern Indiana. Slick roads later that evening contributed to a fatal automobile accident on Indiana State Highway 62 near Stacy Springs Court.
A cold front ungulated across portions of southeast Wyoming and was the focal point for significant snow.
A large area of surface low pressure ejecting northeast into the Northern Plains brought widespread moderate to heavy snow to much of west and central North Dakota Monday, December 20th through early morning Tuesday, December 21st.
Part 2 of 2: The seasons first major winter storm moved into Iowa during the late afternoon and evening of the 19th and continued into the day on the 20th and became a blizzard for much of the Des Moines CWA.
A series of pacific storms tracked across Northern California Thursday through the weekend bringing periods of moderate to heavy snow in the mountains and gusty winds. Low snow levels brought snow as low as 500 ft before snow levels rose to 3000 to 4500 ft by the weekend.
A powerful low pressure system passed across Southern Lower Michigan on the night of the 20th.
A powerful low pressure system originating over the mid-Mississippi Valley dumped wet heavy snow across much of the east half of Upper Michigan from the 20th into the 21st. A few locations over western Upper Michigan also saw heavy snow during the event.
A strong area of low pressure moved out of the Central Plains into Illinois and the Great Lakes region on December 19th and 20th.
A trough of low pressure had become established over the Inland Northwest by the 19th of December as a ridge of high pressure anchored over the Eastern Pacific.
In advance of an upper low in the Desert Southwest, a very rich feed of subtropical and Gulf moisture overspread much of west and northwest Texas by the afternoon of the 20th resulting in a widespread rain event.
On Friday, December 20th, a shallow but strong cold front surged through southern Oklahoma, bringing a prolonged sub-freezing airmass to all of Oklahoma.
A woman was killed in a December 20th traffic accident near Pilot Mound (Fillmore County) that occurred on icy roads. The icy roads developed from moisture that was deposited on the roads from fog with temperatures below freezing.
A fatality occurred on the evening of December 20th on interstate 15 northbound just north of the Shelley exit during a light snowfall which caused icy road conditions.
A robust shortwave brought heavy mountain snow, mixed precipitation and strong gusty winds. Cold surface temperatures contributed to icy conditions in valley locations.
A new winter system moved in as a trough dropped into the Pacific Northwest on December 21st. With the accompanying atmospheric river, this system had substantial moisture with it bringing a wet and windy day ahead.
An arctic front over western Washington combined with a moist systems arriving off the Pacific Ocean gave rise to heavy snow in the south Washington Cascades, and eventually in the lower elevations. There was one traffic fatality in the Western Columbia River on the 20th.
A powerful arctic front dropped southward across Wyoming and brought a period of snow and bitterly cold temperatures to much of western and central Wyoming.
Heavy mountain snow and strong winds in the latter half of December led to multiple avalanches of note in western Wyoming.
11 on December 20, oldest first.
Since 1924, the latest first freeze in Wichita Falls, Texas occurred on this date in 1939. On average, the first freeze can be expected around November 10th.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
On December 19th an arctic airmass began moving over Central California. The resulting cold air pool from advection and radiational cooling in the lowest levels of the atmosphere led to a devastating freeze to crops, especially citrus, in the Central and Southern San Joaquin…
After weeks of unseasonably warm weather across south-central Nebraska, a strong arctic surge brought a quick end to the warmth. Temperatures steadily declined into the single digits by the evening of the 20th as arctic air sagged south across the area.
Freezing temperatures were observed over a large portion of West Central Florida during the predawn through late morning hours of December 20th, 2000.Low temperatures dropped into the lower 20s over Levy county with durations below freezing between nine and eleven hours.In…
A high pressure system of arctic origin built into New Jersey on the 20th. This was one of the coldest air masses of the entire winter season.
An upper level disturbance tracking across the northern plains brought a period of snow to eastern Nebraska and western Iowa followed by an Arctic cold front which brought plunging temperatures and gusty winds.
Strong cold air advection combined with gusty northwest winds resulted in wind chill temperatures of 40 below to near 50 below zero from Saturday the 20th, through Sunday morning the 21st.
Arctic air combined with blustery northwest winds brought extreme wind chills to central and northeast South Dakota from the late afternoon of the 20th until the afternoon of the 21st. Wind chills of 35 below to 45 below zero were common across the area.
One person died in Las Vegas of cold-related causes.
An Arctic airmass settled over the region, bringing bitter cold temperatures and gusty winds that produced wind chills of 30 below to 55 below zero at times from late day on the 20th through the 23rd.
An 87-year old male died from hypothermia near the Alum Rock neighborhood of San Jose on the morning of December 20, with hypertensive cardiovascular disease as a contributing factor.
1 on December 20, oldest first.
Hillsboro recorded 26 inches, Texas’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, over December 20, 1929 to December 21, 1929, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
4 on December 20, oldest first.
The Unnamed Fire started on December 20, 1991, in Mississippi, and burned 1,713 acres.
The Jean Fire was discovered on December 20, 1996, in New Mexico, and burned 3,000 acres.
The Persimmon Ridge Rd Fire was discovered on December 20, 2010, in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, and burned 3,200 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Sunday Evening Fire was reported on December 20, 2015, in Hutchinson County, Texas, and burned 2,197 acres.
24 on December 20, oldest first.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Seionaikai, Japan. It killed 1,000 people, destroyed 1,713 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Switzerland. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Guatemala, El Salvador. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Chaman,baluchistan, Pakistan. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Bocas del Toro, Panama. It caused a tsunami.
The Cedar Mountain earthquake of 1932 was one of the largest seismic events in the US state of Nevada. 3 earthquake struck at Cedar Mountain in Western Nevada.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Cedar Mountain, Nevada, United States.
The 1940 New Hampshire earthquakes struck on December 20 and again on December 24. 6, and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 1942 Niksar–Erbaa earthquake in Turkey occurred at 16:03 local time on 20 December. 0 and a maximum felt intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale, causing 3,000 casualties.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Niksar, Erbaa, Turkey. It killed 1,000 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck S Coast, Honshu, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 1,362 people, destroyed 11,661 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Eje Cafetero, Colombia. It killed 23 people and injured 100.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck S Mamasani, Shiraz, Norabad, Iran. It destroyed 80 houses.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Marmaris, Turkey. It injured 3.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Off Coast North Island, New Zealand. It killed 1 person and destroyed 3 houses.
The 2007 Gisborne earthquake occurred under the Pacific Ocean about 50 kilometres (31 mi) off the eastern coast of New Zealand's North Island at 8:55 pm NZDT on 20 December. 7 and maximum Mercalli intensity of VII, the tremor affected the city of Gisborne and was felt widely throughout the country, from Auckland in the north to Dunedin in the south.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Yeniyapan, Abazlar, Suyuguzel, Central, Turkey.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Kerman, Iran. It killed 7 people, injured 25 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
6 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). It was located about 20 km from Hosseinabad, Kermān Province in south-eastern Iran, about 100 km from Bam.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Alborz, Iran. It killed 2 people and injured 117.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Off Kamchatka, Russia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Humboldt County, California, United States. It killed 2 people, injured 17, destroyed 150 houses and did $250 million in damage.
m. PST.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal. It destroyed 108 houses.
5 on December 20, oldest first.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Seionaikai, Japan, with a maximum water height of 2 meters. It killed 1,000 people, destroyed 1,713 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami struck Southeast Australia.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Bocas del Toro, Panama.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck S Coast, Honshu, Japan, with a maximum water height of 6.6 meters. It killed 1,362 people, destroyed 11,661 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Kamchatka, Russia.
1 on December 20, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began December 20, 2015, reached Kp 7- and lasted 30 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 70; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on December 20, oldest first.
A freeze disaster that cost $4.9 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from December 20, 1998 to December 28, 1998.
14 on December 20, oldest first.
A Pompano Beach resident drowned in a rip current in the Atlantic off Pompano Beach while rescuing two women tourists. The tourists, who were standing on a sand bar at an unguarded beach, were treated by paramedics and released.
Dense fog was responsible for an 8 vehicle pile up on Highway 12 on Andrus Island in south Sacramento County. California Highway Patrol reported visibilities of 75 feet. Two big-rigs and 6 passenger vehicles were involved in the accident.
A deep storm low northwest of the island chain generated surf of 30 to 40 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii.
A warm front moved northward during the day of 12/19 and became stationary near the Arkansas/Louisiana border.
An upper level low pressure center moving across Arkansas brought numerous thunderstorms and locally heavy rain on the morning of the 20th.
Warmer air flowing over a snow-covered ground caused dense fog to form, which lasted for about a 36 hour period. The dense fog developed on December 20, 2007 and finally disippated on December 22. Visibilities were frequently at or below 1/4 mile during this period.
Hazardous Surf and Strong Rip Currents Caused a number of deaths across|Guam.
Abundant moisture caused fog to occur during the morning of the 20th. Dense fog with visibility at or below one quarter mile happened for at least a short period during the indicated time range in or near the cities of Amarillo (Potter and Randall counties), Dalhart (Dallam and…
Strong winds behind a cold front near Japan produced swell that moved across the Marianas. This swell produced large waves on north and east facing reefs.
A landslide of construction waste occurred at Shenzhen, on 20 December 2015. It destroyed and buried industrial buildings and worker living quarters in the nearby industrial park.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
On the morning of December 21, dense fog developed over the southern Sacramento Valley and northern San Joaquin Valleys. Observation sites within in the area generally reported dense fog with visibility at or less than a quarter of a mile.
An active surface trough and a building ridge produced strong winds that influenced hazardous rip currents and high surf conditions for the Islands, December 17th to the 20th.
A series of long-period northerly swells resulted in large breaking waves and life-threatening rip currents along the Atlantic coastline of Puerto Rico between December 20-23.
Moderate onshore winds ahead of a cold front and lingering swell led to choppy surf and rip currents at the coast of Palm Beach County.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.