1993: Winds gusting to 40 to 60 mph combined with snowcover along with new snow to cause blizzard conditions making travel hazardous across north central and northeast South Dakota. Several vehicles were stranded or slid into ditches. The strong winds toppled a private building under construction at Selby in Walworth County. New snowfall amounts were generally from one to three inches.

1995: Winds of 40 to 60 mph occurred across central and north central South Dakota from the late afternoon into the middle of the evening as a strong area of low pressure in southern Canada pushed a vigorous cold front across the area.

1887: Tropical storms and hurricanes are very rare in December in the Atlantic. However, on this date not one but two tropical systems existed. One was dissipating after having been a Category 1 hurricane over the eastern Bahamas November 29-30. The other was just being born and would become a Category 1 hurricane over the open North Atlantic December 7-8.

1902: Brutally cold temperatures of -42.7 did not deter firefighters in Dawson, Yukon from attacking a fire at the Empire Hotel. Despite intense heat caused by the fire, many firefighters' nosetips were frozen and fire hoses flowing at full pressure were frozen in 2 hours.