December 8 in Weather History

176 events on record, 1058 to 2025

Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for December 8, in any year, each linked to its full record.

← December 7TodayDecember 9 →

December 8 on the map

Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.

  • Tornadoes
  • Hurricanes and tropical storms
  • Floods
  • Severe storms
  • Winter storms and snow
  • Cold
  • Wildfires
  • Earthquakes
  • Volcanoes
  • Tsunamis
  • Other weather

The most significant

By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.

Earthquakes

18121812 Wrightwood earthquake

The 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake, also known simply as the Capistrano earthquake or the Wrightwood earthquake, occurred on December 8 at 15:00 UTC in Alta California. At the time, this was a colonial territory of the Spanish Empire.

Where
United States
Country
United States
Deaths
40

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

Winter storms and snow

2007Ice Storm in Oklahoma, December 8 to 11, 2007

Arctic air spread into the region ahead of a strong storm system over the desert southwest. Several disturbances translated from the low pressure area across the Southern Plains, resulting in several periods of precipitation, including thunderstorms.

Deaths
3
Damage
$676 million
Events
17

The full record

Tornadoes

1890F3 tornado, Newton, Walton counties, Georgia

An F3 tornado touched down in Newton, Walton counties, Georgia and tracked 3.1 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Jersey, GA.

Rating
F3
Deaths
2
Injuries
2
Path
3.1 mi
Width
50 yd

The full record

Hurricanes and tropical storms

2002Hurricane in Guam, December 8 to 9, 2002

A circulation became Tropical Depression 31W early on the morning of the 3rd. It was about 70 miles north-northeast of Kosrae. It quickly became Tropical Storm Pongsona later that morning.

Deaths
1
Injuries
316
Damage
$175 million
Events
4

The full record

Winter storms and snow

2017A category 2 snowstorm begins in the Southeast

Snowstorm of December 8, 2017 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from December 8, 2017 to December 10, 2017.

Category
2, Significant
Index
3.1
Winter deaths filed
5

The full record

By kind

Tornadoes

16 on December 8, oldest first.

1890F3 tornado, Newton, Walton counties, Georgia

An F3 tornado touched down in Newton, Walton counties, Georgia and tracked 3.1 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Jersey, GA.

Rating
F3
Deaths
2
Injuries
2
Path
3.1 mi
Width
50 yd

The full record

1916F2 tornado, Winn Parish, Louisiana

An F2 tornado touched down in Winn Parish, Louisiana and tracked 9.4 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Atlanta, LA.

Rating
F2
Deaths
2
Injuries
15
Path
9.4 mi
Width
200 yd

The full record

19541954 London tornado

On the evening of December 8, 1954, a damaging tornado moved through the western suburbs of London, United Kingdom. The F3 tornado injured more than 30, and caused significant damage in particular to the suburbs of Gunnersbury and Acton along a 19-kilometre (12 mi) path.

Where
London
Country
United Kingdom

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

1993Tornado in Oregon, December 8, 1993

The powerful storm that caused high winds across Oregon also spawned the most powerful tornado in the state in many years. The tornado occurred as the coldfront associated with a deep surface low along the coast moved across the Willamette Valley in mid-afternoon.

Damage
$6
Strongest
F2
Events
1

The full record

2008Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, December 8 to 10, 2008

A dry line moved across north Texas as an upper level trough moved through the Desert Southwest. A line of thunderstorms developed and became severe as the night wore on. Two tornadoes and several downbursts caused significant damage across Grayson County.

Injuries
5
Damage
$1.2 million
Strongest
EF2
Events
9

The full record

Hurricanes and tropical storms

9 on December 8, oldest first.

2002Hurricane in Guam, December 8 to 9, 2002

A circulation became Tropical Depression 31W early on the morning of the 3rd. It was about 70 miles north-northeast of Kosrae. It quickly became Tropical Storm Pongsona later that morning.

Deaths
1
Injuries
316
Damage
$175 million
Events
4

The full record

Floods

17 on December 8, oldest first.

2015Flooding and Heavy Rain in Oregon, December 8 to 10, 2015

A moist front produced heavy rain across Northwest Oregon on December 8th through December 9th resulting in river flooding, urban flooding, and sink holes. This rain occurred around 24 hours after another moist front that resulted in flooding across the area.

Damage
$1.8 million
Events
4

The full record

20252025 Pacific Northwest floods

Beginning on December 8, 2025, a series of severe floods impacted rivers and lowlands in the Pacific Northwest, particularly Western Washington in the United States and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada. The floods were triggered by an atmospheric river that was among the strongest and longest-lasting in the history of the Puget Sound region.

Where
Canada
Countries
Canada, United States

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

Severe storms

17 on December 8, oldest first.

2004High Wind in Nevada, December 8, 2004

Strong winds moving through Washoe Valley caused six tractor trailers to overturn on U.S. Highway 395 and Nevada State Route 429. One truck driver was critically-injured when a wind gust pushed a semi-trailer from the opposing lane into his truck cab.

Injuries
2
Damage
$50,000
Strongest
63 kt wind
Events
1

The full record

2008High Wind in Texas, December 8, 2008

Virga showers associated with a Pacific cold front combined with tight surface pressure gradients and strong winds aloft resulted in damaging winds over the western and central South Plains during the late afternoon hours of the 8th.

Damage
$100,000
Strongest
56 kt wind
Events
3

The full record

2009High Wind and Winter Weather in Texas, December 8, 2009

A winter storm moved across the southern Texas Panhandle during the morning which produced some freezing rain or freezing drizzle. The icy roads in the south central Texas Panhandle were the cause of a fatality during the early morning hours.

Deaths
1
Injuries
2
Strongest
61 kt wind
Events
18

The full record

2009High Wind in New Mexico, December 8, 2009

An upper low/trough centered over the Colorado Rockies with an associated 150kt jet located over southern New Mexico and far West Texas brought wind gusts over 100 mph to areas along and east of I-25.

Injuries
2
Damage
$6.0 million
Strongest
101 kt wind
Events
3

The full record

2009High Wind in Texas, December 8, 2009

An upper trough/low centered over the Colorado Rockies with an associated 150kt jet located over southern New Mexico and far West Texas brought wind gusts approaching 80 mph to areas east of the Franklin Mountains.

Damage
$2.2 million
Strongest
69 kt wind
Events
2

The full record

2017Damaging Wind in Florida, December 8, 2017

A cold front moved southeast through the Florida Peninsula on the evening of the 8th through early morning on the 9th. Thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front, one of which produced a damaging wind gust.

Damage
$50,000
Events
1

The full record

2018Strong Wind in Alabama, December 8 to 9, 2018

A wake low and/or series of gravity waves within this low produced strong and gusty winds for a couple of hours across portions of north central through northeast Alabama, including Cullman, Marshall and DeKalb Counties.

Damage
$40,000
Events
3

The full record

2025High Wind in Montana, December 8 to 9, 2025

Strong zonal flow coinciding with the passage of a shortwave trough was translated to the surface, primarily during the evening of the 8th and into the 9th over the plains and adjacent areas. The strongest winds were more isolated east of I-15 over the plains, but did occur.

Strongest
74 kt wind
Events
17

The full record

Winter storms and snow

64 on December 8, oldest first.

1997Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 8 to 9, 1997

Snowpacked and icy roads contributed to many vehicular accidents, one of which killed a 73-year-old man and his 59-year-old wife on Highway 71 when a semitrailer truck lost control, crossed the center line and struck their car head-on. Both vehicles caught fire and were totaled.

Deaths
2
Injuries
2
Damage
$60,000
Events
5

The full record

1997Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 8 to 11, 1997

Winter storm conditions caused by fresh snow and strong winds contributed to 76 accidents from 2200 12/08 to 1700 12/10 in Laramie and Albany counties. 17 of the accidents involved injuries, the exact number of which are not known.

Deaths
1
Injuries
36
Damage
$100,000
Events
4

The full record

1998Winter Weather in New York, December 8, 1998

A weak disturbance produced a little freezing rain and sleet across the Lake George Saratoga Region on December 8. The freezing rain produced slick roads that lead to a five car collision in the town of Wilton in Saratoga County at 3:30 PM on December 8.

Injuries
5
Damage
$10,000
Events
1

The full record

1998Winter Weather in Maine, December 8, 1998

A trough of low pressure caused light snow to fall throughout the state. Although the snowfall amounts were generally two inches or less, extremely hazardous driving conditions developed as road surfaces, which had been warm due to record high temperatures on the 7th, dropped to…

Events
24

The full record

2001Blizzard in Alaska, December 8, 2001

Two Coast Guard crew from the cutter "Firebush" were "...apparently blown off a ridge by strong winds". A request for air support was made from the Alaska State Troopers just after midnight Saturday.

Deaths
1
Injuries
1
Events
1

The full record

2005Winter Storm in Missouri, December 8, 2005

The first significant winter storm of the season hit the area dropping from 2 to around 6 inches of snow. Most of Central Missouri picked up about 2 inches, East Central and Southeast Missouri saw 2 - 4 inches, and Northeast Missouri received from 2 to near 6 inches.

Deaths
2
Events
29

The full record

2005Heavy Snow in Ohio, December 8 to 9, 2005

An area of low pressure quickly moved from central Indiana to north-central Ohio during the evening hours of December 8th. Snow associated with this low spread into northwest Ohio during the afternoon hours of the 8th.

Damage
$400,000
Events
2

The full record

2005Heavy Snow in Indiana, December 8 to 9, 2005

A low pressure system combined with a strong upper level disturbance moved slowly through the Ohio Valley and brought a widespread heavy snow to the entire region. Accumulating snow began in the mid to late afternoon on the 8th and reached 6 inches during the late evening.

Events
24

The full record

2005Winter Weather in Iowa, December 8, 2005

A winter storm moved from Missouri into Iowa and Illinois during the day of 8 December 2005. Snowfall amounts were widespread but mainly in the 3 to 6 inch range. Blowing and drifting was minimal as winds stayed in the 9 to 13 knot (10 to 15 mph) range.

Events
21

The full record

2005Winter Weather in Kentucky, December 8, 2005

A period of sleet and freezing rain during the morning created very hazardous conditions. In some areas, the precipitation changed to snow during the afternoon hours. The snow accumulated from one to three inches along and north of a Paducah to Calhoun line.

Events
18

The full record

2006Winter Weather in Texas, December 8, 2006

A mix of sleet, snow and rain fell across South Texas. Light accumulations were reported in La Salle, Duval and Victoria counties, making roadways slick. A few minor vehicle accidents were reported in La Salle county.

Deaths
2
Events
13

The full record

2007Ice Storm in Oklahoma, December 8 to 11, 2007

Arctic air spread into the region ahead of a strong storm system over the desert southwest. Several disturbances translated from the low pressure area across the Southern Plains, resulting in several periods of precipitation, including thunderstorms.

Deaths
3
Damage
$676 million
Events
17

The full record

2007Ice Storm in Illinois, December 8 to 9, 2007

A winter storm brought an extended period of freezing rain to portions of central Illinois on December 8th and 9th. The area most impacted by the ice storm received widespread 3 to 4 tenths of an inch of ice.

Deaths
2
Injuries
2
Damage
$590,000
Events
15

The full record

2007Winter Weather in Oklahoma, December 8 to 9, 2007

Below freezing temperatures were in place over the northwest third of Oklahoma. Weak lift over the area resulted in light freezing drizzle, which created isolated slick spots on area roadways. Unfortunately, some of the accidents resulted in injuries and fatalities.

Deaths
2
Injuries
2
Damage
$10,000
Events
1

The full record

2007Ice Storm in Missouri, December 8 to 12, 2007

A major ice storm hit parts of central, northeast, and east central Missouri. Up to a half inch of ice accumulated along with up to one inch of sleet. Trees and power lines were down throughout the area. Many businesses had to close due to loss of electricity.

Events
18

The full record

2008Winter Weather in Illinois, December 8, 2008

A warm front lifting northward out of Missouri triggered a band of freezing rain just north of the front on December 8, 2008. The freezing rain only lasted about an hour or two during the morning and early afternoon hours at any given location.

Deaths
1
Injuries
20
Events
9

The full record

2008Winter Weather in Illinois, December 8, 2008

A warm front lifted northward through central Illinois during the overnight hours of December 7th into the early morning of December 8th. Light freezing rain accompanied the front, creating icy roads and numerous traffic accidents across the area.

Deaths
1
Events
1

The full record

2008Winter Storm in Iowa, December 8 to 9, 2008

A southwest flow aloft pushed warm air over the top of an existing polar air mass that was in place over Iowa. Low pressure developed to the southwest and lifted north during the day on the 8th. The low brought warm and moist air north into the central U.S.

Damage
$230,000
Events
18

The full record

2009Blizzard in Iowa, December 8 to 9, 2009

Snowfall of 4 to 10 inches over all of northwest Iowa was accompanied by north to northwest winds sustained at 30 to 40 mph, with some gusts over 50 mph. The combination of snow and strong winds created widespread blizzard conditions with visibilities near zero.

Deaths
1
Injuries
1
Events
11

The full record

2011Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 8, 2011

Although the forecast for this Thursday called for only 1-2 inches of snow across much of South Central Nebraska, a heavier-than-expected east-west snow band materialized for several hours near and north of Highway 6, resulting in widespread 3-4 inch amounts across several…

Deaths
3
Events
18

The full record

2013Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 8 to 9, 2013

Low pressure and lake enhanced snow brought several inches of powdery snow to southern Wisconsin. Hundreds of vehicle accidents including several pile-ups occurred, especially in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Three deaths were reported with weather as a contributing factor.

Deaths
3
Events
15

The full record

2016Lake-Effect Snow in Ohio, December 8 to 10, 2016

Cold winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during the morning hours of December 8th. Winds were initially close to being parallel to the south shore of the lake which kept the heavier snow confined to the lake shore areas.

Damage
$1.8 million
Events
5

The full record

2017Winter Storm in Alabama, December 8 to 9, 2017

A significant snowstorm impacted central Alabama on December 8-9. The snow began during the early morning hours on December 8th and continued for nearly 24 hours.|Within the main corridor of snow, totals of 4 to 8 inches were common, with a few swaths of 8 to 12 inches.

Events
29

The full record

2017Winter Storm in Virginia, December 8 to 9, 2017

A cold front stalled over the region the afternoon of December 8th, 2017. A set of upper level disturbances moved along this boundary. One had crossed the region by Thursday evening, with a second by Friday morning, December 9th, 2017.

Damage
$95,000
Events
10

The full record

2017Winter Weather in Louisiana, December 8, 2017

Colder air plunged to the gulf coast while an upper level disturbance provided support for precipitation. Precipitation began to change to snow across the region past midnight and accumulate. Snow lingered through much of the morning.

Events
17

The full record

2018Winter Storm in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 2018

A low pressure system tracked eastward along the Gulf Coast and spread moisture northward toward the Mid Atlantic. Meanwhile, high pressure to the north allowed temperatures to fall into the 20s, which caused the moisture to mostly fall as heavy snow.

Deaths
1
Damage
$175,000
Events
9

The full record

2018Winter Weather in Missouri, December 8 to 9, 2018

A low pressure system moved east across Mississippi and Alabama, spreading a wintry mix into extreme southern parts of southeast Missouri. Most of the impacts were felt south of U.S. Highway 60, especially from southern Butler County to New Madrid County.

Injuries
2
Events
5

The full record

2018Winter Storm in Virginia, December 8 to 10, 2018

A low pressure system tracked eastward along the Gulf Coast and spread moisture northward toward the Mid Atlantic. Meanwhile, high pressure to the north allowed temperatures to fall into the 20s, which caused the moisture to mostly fall as heavy snow.

Damage
$200,000
Events
27

The full record

2018Winter Weather in Tennessee, December 8 to 9, 2018

A slow moving upper level storm system brought several rounds of winter weather to much of Middle Tennessee from December 8, 2018 through December 10, 2018. A mix of rain and snow fell early in the day on December 8, with light snow accumulations in some areas.

Damage
$45,000
Events
9

The full record

2022Heavy Snow and High Wind in California, December 8 to 10, 2022

An upper disturbance moved east across Northwest California during early to mid December. Locally heavy low-elevation rainfall was observed, along with areas of heavy mountain snow. Impacts due to falling trees occurring with periods of strong gusty winds were also observed.

Injuries
1
Damage
$23,000
Strongest
52 kt wind
Events
13

The full record

Cold

7 on December 8, oldest first.

1996Cold in South Dakota, December 8, 1996

A Summit man died from exposure to the extreme cold after his vehicle became stuck in the snow. The man attempted to walk for help and was found about one mile from his car in the driveway of a home about a mile and a half west and one mile south of Summit.

Deaths
1
Events
1

The full record

2009Cold in Illinois, December 8 to 9, 2009

A 51 year old man died on Monroe Street in Chicago due to cold exposure. A 42 year old man died due to hypothermia from cold exposure near Belmont Road in Chicago. He was found unresponsive in an alley. Low temperatures were in the lower teens.

Deaths
2
Events
1

The full record

2013Cold in New Mexico, December 8, 2013

A bitter cold air mass in place over the area behind an exiting winter storm created plumbing problems for facilities at the Coyote Ranger District office. Temperatures across the area Sunday morning fell into the single digits below zero.

Damage
$50,000
Events
1

The full record

Wildfires

5 on December 8, oldest first.

1996Jackson Fire

The Jackson Fire was discovered on December 8, 1996, in Texas, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.

When
December 8, 1996
Acres
1,200

The full record

2001Wildfire in California, December 8 to 11, 2001

A brush fire, started by a house electrical fire, was pushed by Santa Ana winds that reached 50 mph. The blaze quickly grew out of control, consuming several hundred acres within in a few hours. A total of 1200 acres were burned before it was fully contained three days later.

Injuries
1
Damage
$2.0 million
Events
1

The full record

2001Bell Fire

The Bell Fire was discovered on December 8, 2001, in California, and burned 1,200 acres.

When
December 8, 2001
Acres
1,200

The full record

2014Alaqua Fire

The Alaqua Fire was reported on December 8, 2014, in Walton County, Florida, and burned 2,800 acres; the cause was recorded as human.

When
December 8, 2014
Acres
2,800

The full record

2017Windsplitter Fire

The Windsplitter Fire was reported on December 8, 2017, in Baca County, Colorado, and burned 3,134 acres; the cause was recorded as human.

When
December 8, 2017
Acres
3,134

The full record

Earthquakes

21 on December 8, oldest first.

18121812 Wrightwood earthquake

The 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake, also known simply as the Capistrano earthquake or the Wrightwood earthquake, occurred on December 8 at 15:00 UTC in Alta California. At the time, this was a colonial territory of the Spanish Empire.

Where
United States
Country
United States
Deaths
40

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

20252025 Aomori earthquake

6 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, Sanriku, Japan. The earthquake generated tsunamis that reached heights of up to 70 cm (28 in) along the coast of northern Japan.

Where
Japan
Country
Japan
Deaths
0
Injured
46

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The full record

Volcanoes

1 on December 8, oldest first.

Tsunamis

5 on December 8, oldest first.

2016December 8, 2016 Tsunami at Solomon Islands

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Solomon Islands, with a maximum water height of 0.43 meters. It killed 1 person and destroyed 191 houses.

When
December 8, 2016
Magnitude
7.8
Water height
0.43 m
Deaths
1
Where
Solomon Islands

The full record

Space weather and aurora

7 on December 8, oldest first.

Other weather

7 on December 8, oldest first.

2007Dense Fog in Texas, December 8 to 9, 2007

Fog, occasionally dense, developed rapidly over the central and western South Plains of west Texas during the late afternoon hours of the 8th...and persisted into the morning hours of the 9th. Although widespread, impacts from the fog were most severe in Garza County.

Deaths
1
Damage
$40,000
Events
1

The full record

Every day of the year

Sources

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.