Weather Records on 16 December 1961

858 weather records were set or tied worldwide on 16 December 1961. Highest significance: Goulds Country Post Office, AU.

Key Facts for 16 December 1961

On 16 December 1961, 858 weather records were set or tied at long-record stations worldwide.
39 were record highs and 65 were record lows, counting maximum and minimum temperature.
By timescale, 2 were all-time records, 24 monthly and 832 daily.
Goulds Country Post Office set a monthly record daily precipitation of 145.8 mm (5.7 in) on 16 December 1961.
Across 160 earlier years (1793 to 2025) the same calendar date averaged 480 records.

Record Map

858 stations

858 station records on 16 December 1961 are marked on the map, coloured by record type. Dot size shows the significance score. Made with Natural Earth.

Weather records on 16 December 1961: highest significance records shown on the map
Station	Country	Type	Value	Significance
Goulds Country Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	145.8 mm (5.7 in)	78 of 100 (Major)
St Marys (Clive Street)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	203.5 mm (8.0 in)	69 of 100 (Major)
Binnaway (Wattle St)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	118.9 mm (4.7 in)	68 of 100 (Major)
Venterstad	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	69.0 mm (2.7 in)	66 of 100 (Major)
Branxholm (Stoke Street)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	84.8 mm (3.3 in)	61 of 100 (Major)
Mathinna (Fingal Road)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	67.8 mm (2.7 in)	59 of 100 (Notable)
Hopetoun	Australia	Record daily precipitation	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	58 of 100 (Notable)
Grafton City Council	Australia	Record daily precipitation	59.2 mm (2.3 in)	57 of 100 (Notable)
Tower Hill	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.2 mm (2.4 in)	57 of 100 (Notable)
Chinle	United States	Record snow depth	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	56 of 100 (Notable)
Woogenellup	Australia	Record daily precipitation	67.3 mm (2.6 in)	55 of 100 (Notable)
Pioneer (Main Road)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	79.8 mm (3.1 in)	54 of 100 (Notable)
St Helens Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	47.2 mm (1.9 in)	54 of 100 (Notable)
Jam Vale	Australia	Record daily precipitation	36.6 mm (1.4 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Blessington Upper	Australia	Record daily precipitation	52.1 mm (2.1 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Manor Holme	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	44.0 mm (1.7 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Pardelup	Australia	Record daily precipitation	36.3 mm (1.4 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Scaddan Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
I Dunno	Australia	Record daily precipitation	27.7 mm (1.1 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Weetaliba (Weetalabah)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.0 mm (2.4 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Brinkley	United States	Record daily precipitation	83.8 mm (3.3 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Taos	United States	Record daily snowfall	16.8 cm (6.6 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Kendenup	Australia	Record daily precipitation	48.8 mm (1.9 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Carrick (Oaks Road)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	30.2 mm (1.2 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Hastings 4N	United States	Record daily snowfall	15.2 cm (6.0 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Barnawartha	Australia	Record daily precipitation	52.6 mm (2.1 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Ohotsk	Russia	Record daily precipitation	25.7 mm (1.0 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Mercedes	Uruguay	Record daily precipitation	72.0 mm (2.8 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Blikana	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	67.0 mm (2.6 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Binnaway (Hawthorne)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	62.2 mm (2.4 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Sibley	United States	Record daily snowfall	10.2 cm (4.0 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Espanola	United States	Record daily snowfall	12.7 cm (5.0 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
White Gums	Australia	Record daily precipitation	45.0 mm (1.8 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Wirra	Australia	Record daily precipitation	27.7 mm (1.1 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Collarenebri (Goondoobluie)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	57.2 mm (2.3 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Cobar (the Meadows)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	42.9 mm (1.7 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Berrigan Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.7 mm (2.4 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
South Springfield (South Sprin	Australia	Record daily precipitation	49.3 mm (1.9 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Copmanhurst Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	66.5 mm (2.6 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Goorangoola	Australia	Record daily precipitation	55.1 mm (2.2 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Reddersburg (Pol)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	50.6 mm (2.0 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Apslawn	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.5 mm (2.4 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Tororo	Uganda	Record daily precipitation	63.2 mm (2.5 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Lilydale Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Courtenay Puntledge Bchp	Canada	Record daily snowfall	22.9 cm (9.0 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Elandsfontein	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	45.7 mm (1.8 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Penasco Rs	United States	Record daily snowfall	25.4 cm (10.0 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Crows Nest	Australia	Record daily precipitation	84.1 mm (3.3 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Thule	Australia	Record daily precipitation	41.4 mm (1.6 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Crown King	United States	Record snow depth	55.9 cm (22.0 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Merriwa (Cranbourne)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	49.3 mm (1.9 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Maffra Forestry Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	38.4 mm (1.5 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Warrion	Australia	Record daily precipitation	30.5 mm (1.2 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
White Rock Campbell Scientific	Canada	Record daily precipitation	52.1 mm (2.1 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Glenwood 3SW	United States	Record daily snowfall	6.1 cm (2.4 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Jarrahdale	Australia	Record daily precipitation	25.9 mm (1.0 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Trompsburg (Pol)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Waterford	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	52.0 mm (2.0 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Brushgrove Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	47.0 mm (1.9 in)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Cassilis Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	39.6 mm (1.6 in)	39 of 100 (Notable)

Counts by Type and Timescale

858 records

Records set or tied on 16 December 1961 by type: Highest daily maximum 13, Lowest daily maximum 33, Highest daily minimum 26, Lowest daily minimum 32, Heaviest daily rainfall 596, Heaviest daily snowfall 117, Deepest snow cover 41.

Records on 16 December 1961 by type
Record type	Records
Highest daily maximum	13
Lowest daily maximum	33
Highest daily minimum	26
Lowest daily minimum	32
Heaviest daily rainfall	596
Heaviest daily snowfall	117
Deepest snow cover	41

Records on 16 December 1961 by timescale: all-time 2, monthly 24, daily 832.

How Much Records Were Beaten By

774 broken records

Margins by which the 774 broken records beat the old ones, in degrees Celsius for temperature and millimetres for precipitation and snow; the largest margin was 407.0. Ties are not counted.

Top 20 by Significance

16 December 1961

Top 20 records on 16 December 1961 by significance
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
16 December 1961	Goulds Country Post Office, AU	monthly rain	145.8 mm (5.7 in)	50.5 mm (2.0 in)	73 years	78 of 100 (Major)
16 December 1961	St Marys (Clive Street), AU	monthly rain	203.5 mm (8.0 in)	63.8 mm (2.5 in)	46 years	69 of 100 (Major)
16 December 1961	Binnaway (Wattle St), AU	monthly rain	118.9 mm (4.7 in)	61.7 mm (2.4 in)	41 years	68 of 100 (Major)
16 December 1961	Venterstad, ZA	daily rain	69.0 mm (2.7 in)	48.7 mm (1.9 in)	65 years	66 of 100 (Major)
16 December 1961	Branxholm (Stoke Street), AU	monthly rain	84.8 mm (3.3 in)	39.8 mm (1.6 in)	14 years	61 of 100 (Major)
16 December 1961	Mathinna (Fingal Road), AU	daily rain	67.8 mm (2.7 in)	45.7 mm (1.8 in)	40 years	59 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Hopetoun, AU	daily rain	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	35.8 mm (1.4 in)	44 years	58 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Grafton City Council, AU	daily rain	59.2 mm (2.3 in)	38.9 mm (1.5 in)	64 years	57 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Tower Hill, AU	daily rain	61.2 mm (2.4 in)	41.4 mm (1.6 in)	40 years	57 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Chinle, US	daily snow depth	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	15.2 cm (6.0 in)	38 years	56 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Woogenellup, AU	daily rain	67.3 mm (2.6 in)	62.5 mm (2.5 in)	35 years	55 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Pioneer (Main Road), AU	daily rain	79.8 mm (3.1 in)	54.4 mm (2.1 in)	32 years	54 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	St Helens Post Office, AU	daily rain	47.2 mm (1.9 in)	28.1 mm (1.1 in)	40 years	54 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Jam Vale, AU	daily rain	36.6 mm (1.4 in)	30.8 mm (1.2 in)	30 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Blessington Upper, AU	daily rain	52.1 mm (2.1 in)	30.8 mm (1.2 in)	40 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Manor Holme, ZA	daily rain	44.0 mm (1.7 in)	35.4 mm (1.4 in)	24 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Pardelup, AU	daily rain	36.3 mm (1.4 in)	26.4 mm (1.0 in)	24 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Scaddan Post Office, AU	daily rain	41.9 mm (1.6 in)	27.2 mm (1.1 in)	39 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	I Dunno, AU	daily rain	27.7 mm (1.1 in)	20.6 mm (0.8 in)	31 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
16 December 1961	Weetaliba (Weetalabah), AU	daily rain	61.0 mm (2.4 in)	35.6 mm (1.4 in)	59 years	52 of 100 (Notable)

Significance is a score from 0 to 100 combining margin, the age of the old record and the length of the station's record. How it is computed.

The Same Date in Other Years

1793 to 1961

Records set or tied on this calendar date in each year from 1793 to 1961. 1961 had 858 records.

Counts for years before the ledger starts come from the same station rules.

Records on 12-16 in each year
Year	Records
1793	2
1798	2
1808	1
1810	1
1814	2
1815	2
1835	1
1839	1
1840	1
1846	3
1852	1
1853	1
1859	3
1864	1
1869	1
1870	1
1872	1
1876	1
1877	1
1878	2
1879	1
1885	2
1886	2
1888	2
1889	1
1890	4
1891	2
1892	3
1893	1
1894	1
1895	1
1896	7
1897	4
1898	1
1899	2
1900	2
1901	4
1902	17
1903	6
1904	8
1905	4
1906	5
1907	30
1908	11
1909	5
1910	38
1911	26
1912	31
1913	12
1914	26
1915	55
1916	31
1917	60
1918	33
1919	52
1920	61
1921	35
1922	62
1923	205
1924	347
1925	93
1926	130
1927	218
1928	338
1929	383
1930	398
1931	168
1932	880
1933	716
1934	163
1935	71
1936	429
1937	351
1938	142
1939	1,014
1940	633
1941	348
1942	550
1943	491
1944	189
1945	478
1946	357
1947	506
1948	775
1949	132
1950	272
1951	987
1952	349
1953	265
1954	305
1955	325
1956	650
1957	478
1958	497
1959	605
1960	393
1961	858
1962	859
1963	484
1964	639
1965	576
1966	417
1967	886
1968	557
1969	205
1970	726
1971	1,540
1972	1,020
1973	823
1974	546
1975	493
1976	526
1977	950
1978	532
1979	528
1980	1,322
1981	1,498
1982	1,208
1983	1,156
1984	1,944
1985	983
1986	485
1987	1,377
1988	605
1989	3,181
1990	753
1991	659
1992	1,408
1993	676
1994	698
1995	714
1996	797
1997	1,260
1998	698
1999	821
2000	1,160
2001	1,197
2002	990
2003	679
2004	510
2005	1,073
2006	1,020
2007	1,301
2008	2,049
2009	1,032
2010	1,585
2011	777
2012	912
2013	762
2014	465
2015	925
2016	1,588
2017	349
2018	624
2019	786
2020	415
2021	1,485
2022	836
2023	841
2024	755
2025	1,820

Download the Data

Data for records on 1961-12-16: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.

Sources: Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Made with Natural Earth. Public domain map data. Borders are Natural Earth's de facto depiction. Data as of 2026-10-17 (17 October 2026). Records are computed by this site and are not official.

Data as of 2026-10-16. Last revised 16 October 2026 (2026-10-16).

Margin	Records
0 to 100	745
100 to 200	21
200 to 300	7
300 to 400	0
400 to 500	1