June 13: ORD

Today is June 13th. It's the 165th day of the year. 201 days remain.

Unless noted, the following data is based upon observations collected by the National Weather Service, Chicago, at O'Hare International Airport (ORD) between 1979 and 2007. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Jan. 17, 1980.

Before this, Midway International Airport (MDW) was the official station of record from Wed. July 1, 1942 to Thu. Jan. 17, 1980. Before July 1, 1942, records were official at various locations in the city going all the way back to Mon. Oct. 16, 1871. Records before this (back to Sat. Oct. 15, 1870) were lost during the Great Chicago Fire which began on the evening of Sun. Oct. 8, 1871.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 79 and the normal low is 57. The 29-year averages are 82 and 59.

On the hot side, in 1990 the high was 92 with the only 70s low of 71. In 2001, the high was 91 with a low of 68. In 1988 we had a near-record high of 94 (record is 95, set in 1956). The high was 92 in 1987. Highs were 91 in both 1992 and 1994. Other warm lows were 69 in 1984 and 67 in 2005. The record warmest low of 74 was set in 1920. 22 of our 29 highs thus far have been in the 70s (10) and 80s (12).

On the cool side, in 1985 the high was 71 with the record low of 40. In 2002 the high was 64 (just two degrees above the record coolest high of 62 set in 1857). Other cool highs include 70 in 2003, 71 in 1999 and 72 in 1986. Other cool lows were 47 in 1982, 49 in 2006 and 51 in 1995. We've had 15 lows in the 60s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 4:42 and sunrise is at 5:16. Sunset is at 20:31 and twilight ends at 21:05. There's a total of 15 hours, 15 minutes of sunlight and 16 hours, 23 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing gibbous with 75% visible at midnight and 79% visible at noon. Moonset is at 1:54 and moonrise is at 16:09. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 45 minutes today. The moon reached first quarter Tuesday at 10:04.

Flag day is in one day and Father's Day is in two days. -Bernie-