1981

-0.78°F

ran -0.78°F cooler than the 1996–2025 average across 376 cities — the 43rd warmest of 157 years on record.

Extremes

121.0°F

Palm Springs, CA · Aug 27

-50.0°F

Gulkana, AK · Dec 30

1,275

calendar-day record highs set in 1981 that still stand today

1,047

calendar-day record lows set in 1981 that still stand today

Each city's 1981 average temperature versus its 1996–2025 normal — blue where the year ran cool, red where it ran hot.

Each city's single hottest and coldest reading of 1981 — the number is the temperature, coloured hot-to-cold. Toggle between the two.

National temperature anomaly by month — red above the line is a warm month, blue below is cool.

-1.44J

+0.96F

-0.73M

+2.29A

-1.94M

+0.13J

-0.85J

-1.25A

-2.04S

-2.71O

+0.51N

-2.03D

Warmest states of 1981

North Dakota+2.06°Wyoming+1.99°South Dakota+1.92°Colorado+1.90°Montana+1.43°Alaska+1.42°

Coolest states of 1981

North Carolina-3.06°Delaware-2.69°West Virginia-2.64°South Carolina-2.58°Ohio-2.48°Florida-2.29°

Hottest Since · Browse all states · See where it's coldest → coldestsince.com
part of Weather Trader · supported by Substack Subscribers · data: NWS NDFD forecast + NOAA/ACIS ThreadEx records · updated 2026-07-12 22:52Z
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