Weather Records
Record-Breaking Weather Explained: Daily, Monthly, Seasonal, and All-Time Records
The difference between daily, monthly, seasonal, annual, and all-time weather records, and why record wording matters.
Quick answer: Record-breaking weather can refer to many time scales, so the wording matters before comparing events.
Daily records
A daily record compares conditions to the same calendar date in previous years at a station.
It may not be close to the all-time record.
Monthly and all-time records
Monthly records compare all days in a month, while all-time records compare the full station history.
The longer the comparison, the harder the record is to break.
Station context
Station moves, instrument changes, urban growth, and missing data can affect record comparisons.
Official climate summaries often note these issues.