Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for December 31, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Bossier Parish, Webster Parish, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and tracked 59.7 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 18 and injuring 225. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Cotton Valley, LA to El Dorado, AR.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Turkey. It killed 247 people.
Earthquakes
The 1983 Hindu Kush earthquake occurred south of Fayzabad, Badakhshan in northeast Afghanistan at 03:52 PST on December 31, 1983, near the border with Pakistan and the USSR. 4 quake affected three countries, killing at least 26 people and injuring several hundred.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tornadoes
An EF3 tornado touched down in Adair, Washington, Benton counties, Oklahoma and tracked 21.1 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 10.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Hurricane Hester reached its peak of 160 kt (185 mph) with a central pressure of 960 mb, a category 5 storm.
Tornadoes
An EF3 tornado touched down in Phelps County, Missouri and tracked 11 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 6.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Marion County, Florida and tracked 2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 26.
Tornadoes
29 tornadoes were recorded on December 31, 2010, in Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi. They killed 9 people.
Tornadoes
An EF3 tornado touched down in Saint Louis, Jefferson counties, Missouri and tracked 6.65 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 6.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Tropical Storm Pabuk, also referred to as Cyclonic Storm Pabuk, was a weak storm that struck the Malay Peninsula in early January 2019. It was also the earliest-forming storm in both the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and North Indian Ocean basins on record.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Nacogdoches County, Texas and tracked 12.2 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NW Nacogdoches, TX.
Tornadoes
An EF3 tornado touched down in Pulaski County, Missouri and tracked 7.5 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 4.
34 on December 31, oldest first.
An F2 tornado touched down in Elmore County, Alabama and tracked 6.5 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Robinson Springs/Millbrook, AL.
An F3 tornado touched down in Nacogdoches County, Texas and tracked 12.2 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NW Nacogdoches, TX.
An F4 tornado touched down in Bossier Parish, Webster Parish, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and tracked 59.7 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 18 and injuring 225. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Cotton Valley, LA to El Dorado, AR.
An F3 tornado touched down in Sevier, Polk, Howard counties, Arkansas and tracked 10.1 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Gillham, AR.
An F2 tornado touched down in Jefferson County, Arkansas, killing 1 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Gethsemane, AR.
An F2 tornado touched down in Columbia, Union counties, Arkansas and tracked 19.8 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Village/Mt. Holly/Smackover, AR.
An F3 tornado touched down in Marion County, Florida and tracked 2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 26.
Thunderstorm winds resulted in minor damage to the city barn and toppled a few trees across State Road 42.
A tornado moved onshore near Florosa and caused damage as it moved northeast through a small subdivision. Two older manufactured homes were destroyed near the water as the tornado moved inland. The tornado moved across U. S. Highway 98 before dissipating.
A major, closed upper low moved from Texas on December 29th into the Ohio Valley on December 31st. The system weakened considerably as it moved out of Texas, where a number of tornadoes occurred.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Adair, Washington, Benton counties, Oklahoma and tracked 21.1 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 10.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Phelps County, Missouri and tracked 11 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 6.
29 tornadoes were recorded on December 31, 2010, in Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi. They killed 9 people.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Saint Louis, Jefferson counties, Missouri and tracked 6.65 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 6.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Pulaski County, Missouri and tracked 7.5 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 4.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Menard County, Illinois and tracked 3.63 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An EF1 tornado touched down in Phelps, Dent counties, Missouri and tracked 6.78 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 2.
Severe thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front, triggering numerous showers and thunderstorms. A number of tornadoes were reported as well as damaging winds and large hail.
A strong cold front pushed across central Illinois on December 31st, triggering a line of strong to severe thunderstorms.
A potent storm system brought a prolonged outbreak of severe thunderstorms to the Lower Mississippi Valley region from the afternoon hours of New Years Eve lasting through the morning hours of New Years Day.
A pre-frontal line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front over western Missouri. The broken line of storms extended southwestward across southeast Missouri. Isolated bowing segments and supercells were embedded within portions of the line.
Unseasonably warm and moist air spread into eastern Oklahoma ahead of a cold front. Scattered thunderstorms developed in the late evening and early morning hours ahead of the cold front as a weak upper level disturbance passed through the region.
A narrow line of showers and thunderstorms raced east-northeast across western Kentucky and southwest Indiana, producing pockets of damaging wind and a brief tornado. A deepening low pressure system tracked northeast from Arkansas across the St. Louis area to Indiana.
A narrow line of showers and thunderstorms raced east-northeast across western Kentucky and southwest Indiana, producing pockets of damaging wind and a brief tornado. A deepening low pressure system tracked northeast from Arkansas across the St. Louis area to Indiana.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms rolled through southern Indiana and central Kentucky during the afternoon hours of December 31, 2018.
Low-level shear with moderate instability resulted in a rare Low-Precipitation (LP) supercell event across portions of central Georgia during the evening of 31 December 2021.
An isolated supercell moved through southern Dekalb County on the afternoon of December 31st. This supercell produced a brief EF-1 tornado.
2 on December 31, oldest first.
Hurricane Hester reached its peak of 160 kt (185 mph) with a central pressure of 960 mb, a category 5 storm.
Tropical Storm Pabuk, also referred to as Cyclonic Storm Pabuk, was a weak storm that struck the Malay Peninsula in early January 2019. It was also the earliest-forming storm in both the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and North Indian Ocean basins on record.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
20 on December 31, oldest first.
A 45year old female was intoxicated and was seeking shelter under the Brickwood Ave. Bridge on the Santa Rosa Creek in Santa Rosa. The highwater had swept her away and she was not found till a few days later.
According to state climatological records, the year 1996 was the wettest on record (1895-present) for New Jersey. The state-wide average was 59.97 inches, about 14.5 inches above normal. The previous record was 58.85 inches set in 1975.
December 1996 was the wettest December on record (1895-present) for New Jersey. The statewide average of 7.9 inches surpassed the previous record of 7.29 inches set in 1973.
El Nino continued to keep the storm systems rolling through Florida in December. The New Year's Eve storm was almost a carbon copy of the storm system that occurred seven days earlier.
Unofficial measurements of around 3.5 inches of rain in 3 days caused flooding of roads, creeks, and low-lying areas. Indian Creek north of Poplar Bluff flooded a quarter mile stretch of NN Highway. A van became stranded in floodwaters along the highway.
Widespread severe flooding affected many towns in Marin County including Fairfax, San Anselmo, Novato, Inverness, Ross and Mill Valley. Across the County, 1600 homes, 240 businesses and 225 government agencies were affected by the flood.
Widespread low-land flooding occurred across Sonoma County with mainstem river gages along the Russian River remaining above flood stage for several days. Devastating flooding occurred near the Russian River in Healdsburg as well as Guerneville.
A 19 year old woman drowned in Yreka Creek after being swept away during an attempted crossing on foot. Her body was discovered about a mile downstream the next day. Estimated total damage in Siskiyou County was 7 million. 79 homes and businesses were damaged.
Widespread county flooding occurred after 2 to 4 inches of rain fell on the area in about 24 hours. Urban flooding initiated landslides that contributed to the damage, and small streams and creeks overflowed their banks.
A levee along Steamboat Creek failed and flooded the University of Nevada - Reno agricultural farm in east Reno. Around 1,800 animals were evacuated to higher ground, but 344 sheep drowned in the floodwaters.
Widespread flooding affected the county during the severe winter storm. Approximately 2 to 4 inches of rain fell in less than a 24 hour period, causing urban and small stream flooding. The most severe flooding occurred in San Leandro, Alameda, Oakland and Berkeley.
Widespread flooding occurred in the county, due to small streams over-flowing and poor drainage problems. The bulk of the damage occurred in East Palo Alto, San Mateo, Daly City, Colma, Brisbane, San Bruno, South San Francisco and Pacifica.
Widespread flooding occurred across the county, with at least 13 road closures reported due to mudslides as well a fallen trees and utility poles. In Soquel, downed trees and flooding from Soquel Creek closed many roads.
The Sprague River at Beatty exceeded flood stage (8.5 feet) at 31/2300 PST, crested at 9.35 feet at 01/1200 PST in January 2006, and fell below flood stage at 02/0830 PST in January 2006.
The large Pacific storm brought coastal flooding to Bolinas, causing some significant property damage. The damage occurred at the time of high tide, exasperated by strong winds, large waves and periods of heavy rain.
Widespread heavy rainfall resulted in river flooding across parts of the Mid-South including the Missouri Bootheel. Minor flooding occurred along the St. Francis River along the Butler County and Dunklin County borders at the end of 2015.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms rolled through southern Indiana and central Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of December 31, 2018.
A strong low pressure system brought moderate to heavy rain to the region, with reports of one to two inches of rain.
A QLCS (Quasi-Linear Convective System) moved across Middle Tennessee during the afternoon hours on December 31. Several reports of wind damage were received, as well as a few reports of flooding.
An atmospheric river impacted the Bay Area on December 31st, resulting in significant rainfall across the San Francisco Bay Area. Initial forecasts called for the most intense rainband to progressively move south towards the Central Coast as the day went on.
26 on December 31, oldest first.
Wind likely associated with a mountain wave reached high wind criteria in the Kern County Mountains and Deserts during the afternoon of the 31st.
Thunderstorm winds blew a large tree down on a house resulting in severe damage, knocked down several other trees, power lines, and telephone poles, caused the roof of a building to partially collapse, and caused minor damage to several buildings at the State Capitol complex.
Several mobile homes north of Jennings were destroyed.
Thunderstorm winds blew several trees and power lines down, damaged multiple roofs, and shifted one home from its foundation.
A line of severe thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts downing trees and power lines. Some roof damage also occurred due to high winds and fallen tree limbs.
Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees across the city, took the roofs off of a business and trailer, and knocked down a large tent.
A strong gust of wind focused along a squall line swept through the Central San Joaquin Valley on December 31st. A dairy located about 9.8 miles south of Kerman in Fresno County sustained damage to the roofs of several dairy open-sided structures.
The combination of intense low pressure departing to the northeast and cold high pressure building in from the west, produced strong winds and some minor wind damage across portions of central and eastern Virginia.
A strong pressure gradient behind a cold front triggered gusty winds across Virginia on the 31st.
Strong to high winds buffeted New Jersey from the late morning through the evening on the 31st. Hardest hit by the wind were the extreme southern part of the state as well as Sussex County.
A fast moving low pressure system tracking across the Ohio Valley pulled a strong cold front through the Southern Appalachians during the morning of the 31st. Wind damage was widespread and extended into the foothill counties.
Strong to high winds buffeted Eastern Pennsylvania mainly during the afternoon of the 31st. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were knocked down. Hardest hit by the wind were Berks and Chester Counties.
High winds in the wake of a strong cold front toppled numerous trees and power lines across the Lower Susquehanna Valley. A few trees fell onto vehicles, with some people narrowly escaping serious injury.
A fast moving low pressure system tracking across the Ohio Valley pulled a strong cold front through the Southern Appalachians during the morning of the 31st. Wind damage was widespread and extended into the foothill counties.
High winds buffeted Delaware during the afternoon of the 31st. Numerous tree limbs, trees and power lines were knocked down. Delmarva Power and Light reported about 40,000 homes and businesses lost power in their service area including Delaware.
Another brief period of high winds occurred in and near the foothills of Boulder and Jefferson Counties. In Nederland, the strong wind snapped a blue spruce which landed on a nearby propane tank. Some roofs in the immediate area were damaged.
A large tree fell on a home near Cashiers.
Unseasonably warm, moist air spread up into Arkansas at the end of December. A cold front plowed into the unstable air, setting off thunderstorms on the 31st. A few of the storms produced large hail and damaging winds.
A fast moving upper level storm system, along with a deep low pressure system over Nebraska and high pressure building over Utah, combined to create a powerful windstorm across Northeast and North Central Colorado.
Strong winds behind a cold front moving southeast through eastern Colorado caused winds to gust over 70 MPH during the late morning and afternoon.
An intense storm moved toward the Alaska Peninsula. The strong gradient in advance of the front associated with this storm produced wind to 75 mph through Portage Valley.
An amplifying ridge over the Pacific and a deep upper trough over the Great Basin provided the set up for strong northerly flow over most of central and northern California. Winds gusted as high as 78 mph up on Mt Saint Helena with widespread gusts of 40 to 60 mph reported.
A panhandle hook low pressure system moved northeast into the Great Lakes region on December 31, deepening as it moved north of Lake Erie on the evening of the 31st. This low extended a cold front across northern Ohio.
A cold front intersected an unseasonably warm and humid airmass across the Mid-Atlantic, resulting in bands of thunderstorms that produced localized gusty to damaging winds and some hail.
A broad band of moderate precipitation moved across the region with low topped|thunderstorms that developed withing a marginally unstable airmass. Although instability was marginal, shear was strong, and several severe thunderstorms formed as a result.
45 on December 31, oldest first.
Snowstorm of December 31, 1924 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from December 31, 1924 to January 3, 1925.
Snowstorm of December 31, 1946 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from December 31, 1946 to January 2, 1947.
Snowstorm of December 31, 1963 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from December 31, 1963 to January 2, 1964.
Snowstorm of December 31, 1970 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from December 31, 1970 to January 2, 1971.
A mixture of light freezing rain, sleet, and snow coated all major highways during the afternoon and evening of December 31st, 1996. Roads quickly became treacherous. Numerous accidents occurred. A six car pile-up resulted in injuries on the Belt Parkway in kings County.
A cold west to northeast flow across the warm waters of Lakes Erie and Ontario produced lake effect snow squalls along parts of the southeast shores of the lakes. Snowfall amounts ranged from eight to ten inches during the 24-hour storm.
Lake effect snow squalls developed as cold air crossed the warmer waters of the Great Lakes. The southern suburbs of Buffalo received nearly two feet of snow on New Years eve. In some communities, major roads and businesses were closed and holiday events were cancelled.
Lake effect snow began on the afternoon of December 31st and continued into the morning hours of January 1, 1999. The snow accumulated four to ten inches in Lake County and the Ashtabula Lakeshore, and four to eight inches in inland Ashtabula County.
Low pressure developed off the mid Atlantic coast then moved north along the coast bringing a general snowfall to the area. Between six and twelve inches of snow fell across the area with higher amounts downwind from Lakes Erie and Ontario due to lake enhancement.
Snow fell much of the day across North Central Texas with widespread 1-3 inch amounts. The snow melted on streets and highways then refroze after sunset creating a sheet of ice. In the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area hundreds of accidents occurred.
A storm system moved north along the east coast during Saturday (December 30, 2000) and reached eastern Maine Sunday, December 31, 2000. Snow became steady the evening of the 30th and continued overnight...into Sunday, before the snow tapered off late Sunday.
A storm system moved north along the east coast during Saturday (December 30, 2000) and reached eastern Maine Sunday, December 31, 2000. Snow became steady the evening of the 30th and continued overnight...into Sunday, before the snow tapered off late Sunday.
A storm system moved north along the east coast during Saturday (December 30, 2000) and reached eastern Maine Sunday, December 31, 2000. Snow became steady the evening of the 30th and continued overnight into Sunday, before tapering off Sunday night.
Lake effect snow showers developed before daybreak and continued most of the day. Accumulations of 6 to 7 inches were measured in eastern Cuyahoga , southern Ashtabula and northern Geauga Counties.
A storm system moved north along the east coast during Saturday (December 30, 2000) and reached eastern Maine Sunday, December 31, 2000. Snow became steady during the afternoon and evening of the 30th and continued overnight. The snow tapered off Sunday morning.
A storm system moved north along the east coast during Saturday (December 30, 2000) and reached eastern Maine Sunday, December 31, 2000. Snow became steady the evening of the 30th and continued overnight into Sunday, before tapering off Sunday night.
Lake effect snow showers developed before daybreak and continued most of the day. Accumulations of 6 to 9 inches occurred across inland sections of Erie County.
Westerly flow across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to intensify during the early morning hours. Over six inches of snow fell along and near Lake Erie from just before daybreak through late afternoon. Officially, 6.1 inches of snow fell at Erie International Airport.
A more typical "Colorado Low" system brought some freezing drizzle and snow to portions of eastern North Dakota and the northwest quarter of Minnesota. The surface low tracked from the Kansas area toward western Wisconsin.
A weather disturbance moved from the Great Lakes early Friday, December 31st and across New England during the day. During the morning hours freezing rain spread across portions of Vermont, before warmer air changed the freezing rain to plain rain.
The back side of a strong area of low pressure brought a relatively quick round of moderate to heavy snow to portions of Central Kansas during the predawn to mid-morning hours on the 31st. Snow accumulations ranged from 3 to 5 inches.
Moisture left over from rains the weekend before in combination with areas of fog forming in areas of below freezing temperatures led to the formation of black ice on roadways throughout much of the forecast area.
Three snowboarders were caught in an avalanche, leading to one fatality.
Areas of dense fog developed across portions of north-central Maryland during the early morning hours of December 31st. Visibilities were often reduced to a quarter mile or less.
An upper level disturbance moved across northern New York and Quebec during the early morning hours of December 31st. At the same time, a surface low moved north along the mid-Atlantic coast to southeast of Cape Cod by daybreak on the 31st.
A low pressure system tracked east from northern Pennsylvania to just south of Long Island during Wednesday, December 31st, before intensifying rapidly and moving northeast off the New England coast by Thursday morning on January 1st.
A weak low pressure system dropped light snow across northern and southwestern New Jersey and a wintry mix across southeast New Jersey during the morning of 31st. Snowfall averaged 1 to 3 inches with ice accretions less than one tenth of an inch.
A weak low pressure system dropped light snow across Eastern Pennsylvania during the morning of 31st. Accumulations averaged 1 to 3 inches. Snow began between 5 a.m. EST and 7 a.m. EST and ended around 11 a.m. EST.
A fast moving winter weather system impacted the Texas Panhandle and the west Texas South Plains during the daytime hours of the 31st.
A second stronger surface low pressure area moved across the region on New Year's Eve bringing widespread heavy snowfall along with blizzard conditions.
A backcountry skier was killed by an avalanche that buried him under 10 to 12 feet of snow in a narrow canyon near the Montana border around 1420MST. The slide ran 250 feet downhill had was comprised of two paths that totaled about 800 feet in width.
Two separate low pressure systems moved across Southern New England. This served to keep temperatures at the surface cold while temperatures warmed aloft. As a result, freezing rain developed over portions of Massachusetts and New Hampshire on New Year's Eve.
Temperatures fell well below freezing during the predawn hours of December 31st near and along the Red River in Miller County and across portions of Howard County in Southwest Arkansas.
This effect event started in the lingering hours of 2013 and carried over into the new year of 2014 although the majority of the snow fell on the 31st of December.
Lake effect snow showers began before dawn on December 31st. Periods of moderate to heavy snow occurred throughout the day. The snow continued into the New Year with heavy accumulations on January 1st and 2nd as an area of low pressure passed to the south of the area.
One snowshoer was killed but two others survived when an avalanche swept down a One man was killed as he and to others were hiking along Kelso Ridge near the town of Bakerville, about 45 miles west of Denver.
Weak, multiband lake effect snows developed on the 30th over the western southern tier. During the day on the 31st, the snows lifted north across northern Erie and Genesee counties.
By late afternoon on New Year's Eve, freezing drizzle overspread much of the South Plains and continued into the early morning hours of January 1st.
A third winter storm in a series hammered much of New Mexico during the New Year's holiday with widespread snowfall, bitterly cold temperatures, and major travel impacts.
As a shortwave disturbance rotated around a large southwest U.S. closed low aloft and into confluent flow aloft across the Northern Plains, light wintry precipitation developed on December 31.
During the last couple of days in 2020, a series of snow storms moved over the region, producing widespread 4-to-8-inch snow totals. The storm on the 30th and 31st was the last in a series of four impactful winter storms that struck the region during December, and the fifth of the season. On December 2nd and 3rd, a winter storm dumped 10 to 15 inches of snow over far northwest Oklahoma. Two more snow producing storms moved over the state in quick succession on the 13th and 15th. The northwest was again the big winner between the two storms with over a foot of snow reported in Woodward and Ellis Counties. Fargo and Arnett led official December totals at 27.1 inches and 26 inches, respectively. Vici was close behind at 25.5 inches. Fargo’s tally is the third highest December total in state history, behind Beaver’s 35 inches in 1911 and Goodwell’s 28 inches in 1918.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A storm system lifted northward through Arkansas and into Missouri from New Years Eve into New Years Day. Freezing rain spread into southeast Kansas and southern and central Missouri during the evening hours of Thursday, December 31.
A winter storm dumped heavy snow from Roscoe south to Sterling City, Barnhart and Ozona. This storm also produced a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow over the remainder of West Central Texas.
On December 31, a snowmobiler was killed in a very large avalanche north of Cooke City, Montana. The avalanche occurred near Daisy Pass on Crown Butte on a southeast facing slope at 9,800'. Two brothers (age 17 and 21) from Washington were snowmobiling uphill on adjacent slopes.
A man died in an avalanche in a backcountry area called The Numbers, located outside the Breckenridge Ski Resort boundary on Peak 10. A father and his adult son were caught in the avalanche. The father was partially buried and the son fully buried.
1 on December 31, oldest first.
As dry as July through November were, for most of New Jersey, December was even drier.
8 on December 31, oldest first.
A Birmingham man died Sunday morning from hypothermia after being found outside of the Norwood boarding house where he lived. The coroner reported that the man's body temperature was 77 degrees when he was found. The morning low reported at the Birmingham airport was 16 degrees.
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Temperatures fell into the mid-20s over Glades, Hendry, eastern Collier, and western portions of Palm Beach and Broward counties and fell to 32 degrees in the farming areas of south Miami-Dade County. An 85-year old Belle Glade woman died in a fire caused by a kerosene heater.
A strong cold front moved through eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas on the 30th. An arctic air mass spread southward into the region behind the front through the 31st. Temperatures in west central Arkansas were in the mid 20s during the morning hours of the 31st.
A bitterly cold air mass in place allowed temperatures to plummet several degrees below zero on New Years Eve into New Years Day. Temperatures ranged from zero degrees in Dutchess county to 28 degrees below zero in the high terrain of Hamilton county, New York.
Surface high pressure built into the region the night of December 31st. Wind speeds of 5 to 15 mph, combined with temperatures of 10 below to 20 below zero, produced wind chills of 40 below to 50 below zero.
Strong high pressure built southward out of Canada, led by a weak wave of low pressure which increased the surface pressure gradient, and dropped a swath of light snowfall across southeast South Dakota and parts of southwest Minnesota.
Another Arctic outbreak brought wind chills down into the 40s and 50s below zero. Winds were relatively light; however, air temperatures were frigid.
1 on December 31, oldest first.
Syracuse recorded 40 inches, Kansas’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
4 on December 31, oldest first.
The Berlier Fire was discovered on December 31, 1993, in New Mexico, and burned 2,300 acres.
The Armstrong Fire was discovered on December 31, 2005, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Art Fire was discovered on December 31, 2007, in Mason County, Texas, and burned 2,800 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Pac Man Fire was discovered on December 31, 2011, in Oklahoma, and burned 4,226 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
19 on December 31, oldest first.
An earthquake struck Oaxaca, Mixteca, Mexico. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
The 1703 Genroku earthquake occurred at 02:00 local time on December 31. The epicenter was near Edo, the forerunner of present-day Tokyo, in the southern part of the Kantō region, Japan.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An earthquake struck Norfolk, Virginia, United States.
An earthquake struck Robador,simacota,barichara DE Cabrera, Colombia.
The 1881 Nicobar Islands earthquake occurred at about 07:49 local time on 31 December, with an epicentre beneath Car Nicobar. 9 on the moment magnitude scale and triggered a tsunami that was observed around the Bay of Bengal.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Andaman I,nicobar I, India. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Turkey. It killed 247 people.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Baja,imperial Valley, California, United States.
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Hebei Province, China.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Kato-Makrinou, Greece. It killed 1 person, injured 10 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
The 1983 Hindu Kush earthquake occurred south of Fayzabad, Badakhshan in northeast Afghanistan at 03:52 PST on December 31, 1983, near the border with Pakistan and the USSR. 4 quake affected three countries, killing at least 26 people and injuring several hundred.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
m. (UTC+5:30) with an epicenter 20 kilometers southwest of Lakhipur.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Guangxi Province, Guandong Province, China. It injured 360 and destroyed 1,100 houses.
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck Budapest, Hungary.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Dametsi, Bhutan. It injured 2.
This is a list of earthquakes in 2021. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
3 on December 31, oldest first.
Gamkonora, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. It killed few people (about 1 to 50).
Gamalama, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 5 people and injured 5.
Merapi, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 1 person.
7 on December 31, oldest first.
A tsunami struck Tasmania, Australia, with a maximum water height of 1.2 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck W of Car Nicobar Is, Bay of Bengal, India, with a maximum water height of 1.22 meters. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Folkstone, England, United Kingdom, with a maximum water height of 0.9 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands, with a maximum water height of 2 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands, with a maximum water height of 0.8 meters.
9 on December 31, oldest first.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1951, reached Kp 6- and lasted 18 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 38; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 57 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1957, reached Kp 6+ and lasted 42 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 53; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 53 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1967, reached Kp 6 and lasted 21 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 59; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 55 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1983, reached Kp 5 and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 27; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1989, reached Kp 6- and lasted 6 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 35; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 57 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1993, reached Kp 5 and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 20; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1999, reached Kp 6- and lasted 3 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 36; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 57 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 1999, reached Kp 5+ and lasted 6 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 36; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 58 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm began December 31, 2015, reached Kp 6 and lasted 21 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 35; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 55 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
6 on December 31, oldest first.
The highest New Year’s Eve temperature in Oklahoma City is 80 degrees, which occurred back in 1951. On the same day, Wichita Falls reached its warmest New Year’s Eve with a high temperature of 85 degrees.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
Two people drowned while swimming in Cortijo Beach in Patillas.
Dense fog covered a large area of east central Kansas, and contributed to two multi-vehicle accidents between Ottawa and Pomona that killed one person and injured 8 others.
Strong rip currents were observed along southeast Florida beaches over New Years weekend.
Dense fog on December 31st reduced visibility for drivers in Humboldt County. The reduction in visibility resulted in an indirect fatality when a car struck a pedestrian near Eureka, CA.
An unusually long-lasting daylight dense fog event developed across most of New Jersey on December 31st, 2022.
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.