Weather History for December 24

Explore significant weather events that occurred on this date throughout history, including hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, and extreme temperature records.

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7 Historical Weather Events on December 24
1872 — Extreme cold gripped the Upper Midwest on Christmas Eve. Downtown Chicago reported an all-time record low of 23 degrees below zero, which stood until January 1982, and Minneapolis MN reached 38 below. The afternoon high at Minneapolis was 17 degrees below zero. (David Ludlum)
1963 — At 0326 CDT on December 24th, 1963, a new all-time low for Memphis occurred with a reading of -13�F. The record still stands today.
1983 — The barometric pressure reached 31.42 inches at Miles City, MT, to establish a record for the U.S. It was the coldest Christmas Eve of modern record. More than 125 cities reported record low temperatures for the date, and all-time record lows for December were reported at seventeen cities, including Chicago with a low of 25 degrees below zero, and Havre MT with a reading of 50 below zero. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1987 — A four day seige of heavy rain began in the south central U.S. Flooding claimed four lives and caused millions of dollars property damage. Western Tennessee was drenched with up to fourteen inches of rain in two days. Total rainfall exceeded twelve inches around Memphis TN, and the heavy rain and subsequent flooding added insult to injury to victims of the West Memphis tornado on the 14th of the month. Little Rock AR experienced their wettest December day of record with 5.01 inches of rain. West Little Rock reported 10.20 inches of rain in 24 hours. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 — Early morning thunderstorms developing along a cold front spawned a powerful tornado at Franklin, TN, which killed one person, injured seven others, and caused eight million dollars damage. Another in a series of winter storms in the western U.S. produced 20 inches of snow at Blue Canyon CA in 24 hours. Bishop CA received 14 inches of snow in just six hours, and Redding CA, which averages three inches of snow per year, was blanketed with ten inches. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 — Fifty-seven cities in the south central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Elkins, WV, with a reading of 22 degrees below zero. Key West FL equalled their record for December with a morning low of 44 degrees. The high of just 45 degrees at Miami FL was an all-time record for that location. It smashed their previous record for the date by twenty degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2004 — An extremely rare snowstorm impacts southeastern Texas on this day. Corpus Christi International Airport officially measured 4.4 inches from this event. This was their second white Christmas ever recorded in Corpus Christi. The other white Christmas occurred in 1918 when 0.1 inches was reported.

About Weather History

Weather has always played a significant role in shaping human history. From devastating hurricanes and tornadoes to record-breaking temperatures and historic blizzards, extreme weather events have left lasting impacts on communities across the United States and around the world.

This collection documents notable weather events that occurred on December 24 throughout recorded history. These events include tropical storms and hurricanes, tornado outbreaks, severe thunderstorms, winter storms and blizzards, flooding events, heat waves and cold snaps, and other significant meteorological phenomena.

Types of Events Documented

  • Tropical Systems: Hurricanes, tropical storms, and their impacts
  • Severe Weather: Tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and damaging winds
  • Winter Weather: Blizzards, ice storms, and record snowfall
  • Temperature Extremes: Heat waves, cold outbreaks, and record temperatures
  • Flooding: Flash floods, river flooding, and coastal flooding
  • Other Events: Droughts, wildfires influenced by weather, and unique phenomena

Understanding historical weather patterns helps us appreciate the power of nature and the importance of weather preparedness. Browse through different dates to discover what weather events shaped history on any given day of the year.