Weather History For December 30

1880
Washington, DC had -7 degrees below zero a record low for the date and a high of 9 degrees F.That makes this day one of only five days in the official climate history of Washington (11-1-1870 to present) to have a maximum temperature less than 10 degrees F.
What makes it even more unusual was that it was the SECOND time it happened on the date 12-30.
The second time was on 12-30-1917 when the high was also 9 degrees F. A high temperature of 8 degrees has occurred twice - the first time was 1-13-1912 and the second time was 1-19-1994. The coldest maximum ever recorded in Washington occurred on 2-10-1899: 4 degrees F
(Ref. Stanley Rossen)

1889
67 Eastern U.S. cities recorded the coldest December ever; DC had 61.33 inches of snow that set a new record.
(Ref. Wilson - Additional Temperatures Listed On This Link)

1915
Flagstaff, AZ recorded 31 inches of snow for its greatest one day snowfall total on record.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1917
A great cold wave set many records in the northeastern U.S. The mercury plunged to 13 degrees below zero at New York City. Boston recorded -15 °F and temperature readings dipped below zero at Boston five nights in a row. The temperature at Pittsburgh NH reached 44 degrees below zero.
(Ref. AccWeather Weather History)
(David Ludlum)

1933
The temperature reached 50 degrees below zero at Bloomfield, VT. It was the coldest reading in modern records for VT.
(Extreme Weather p. 54, by Christopher C. Burt)

1955
Anchorage AK reported an all-time record snow depth of 47 inches. (30th-1st)
(The Weather Channel)

1962
On this date through the 31st, one of the worst blizzards this century occurred in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Parts of Maine received most of the snow with dangerous wind chills the primary effect for New Hampshire and Vermont. Snowfall totals in Maine included 46 inches at Ripogenus Dam and 40 inches fell in just 24 hours at Orono. Drifts reached 20 feet deep at Bangor.
(Ref. AccWeather Weather History)

1963
The hottest temperature for 1963 in Eureka, CA, occurred today (with an offshore wind) with its high of 77 degrees. This not only set its all-time December high temperature record, but is 1 degree warmer than its all-time July temperature record.
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

1968
The minimum temperature at Withrop, Washington was -48 °F and equaled Washington state's record low temperature. (This same record has been equaled on other dates and/or other places in the state.)
(Ref. AccWeather Weather History)

1983
Record cold affects the Gulf States. The mercury at Tupelo MS plunged to 7 degrees. For Baton Rouge, LA, it was the coldest week on record and would be the coldest December on record at Corpus Christi TX.
(Ref. AccWeather Weather History)

1987
A storm in the western U.S. produced heavy snow in Utah, with 28 inches reported in the Mount Holly and Elk Meadows area. Strong winds prevailed ahead of a cold front in the central U.S. Winds gusted to 46 mph at Dodge City KS, and reached 80 mph at Ruidoso NM. Strong northerly winds, ushering arctic cold into the north central U.S., created blizzard conditions in western Minnesota and central and eastern South Dakota.
(Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)

1988
Unseasonably cold weather prevailed in the southwestern U.S. A week of subfreezing temperatures in southern California claimed the lives of five people. Redding CA was blanketed with four inches of snow.
(The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1989
Extreme cold continued across northern Maine. Milo, ME was the cold spot in the nation with a morning low of 38 degrees below zero, and the low of 31 degrees below zero at Caribou, ME was a December record for that location. Freezing rain spread across much of Lower Michigan, knocking out electrical power to 1.9 million customers in southeastern Lower Michigan.
(The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

2000
A winter storm affected the Mid-Atlantic States into the Northeast. New York City, NY picked up 12 inches of snow as the first major East Coast storm of the winter struck on a weekend, turning the Big Apple into a winter wonderland. Theaters and businesses were still open as preparations for the big New Year's Eve celebration were underway. All three major New York airports were closed and hundreds of flights canceled.Snowfall rates were around 4 inches per hour at times in Sussex County, New Jersey, where as much as 25 inches of snow was reported. While snowfall totals were less further south and west, major cities such as Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Allentown still received in excess of 6 inches of snow.The large amount of snow was a result of Low Pressure which developed off of the Virginia coast. The storm rapidly intensified as it moved along the Mid-Atlantic coast, passing east of Atlantic City during the afternoon, and across Long Island and into southern New England during the evening and nighttime hours.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
Ref. (NWS Ranking for Storms between 1956 and 2011) This is the 37th Worst Snowstorm

2003
Las Vegas was blanketed with 1 to 3 inches of snow.
(Ref. The Old Farmer's Almanac)

2005
In the record breaking hurricane season of 2005, Tropical Storm Zeta developed well out over the Atlantic with no threat to land. Zeta peaked on 1/3/2006 with 65 mph winds before weakening and dissipating on 1/6/2006.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)