August 28: ORD

Today is August 28th. It's the 241st day of the year. 125 days remain. It's week 35 of 2008.

Unless noted, the following data is based upon observations collected by the National Weather Service, Chicago, at O'Hare International Airport (ORD) between November 1978 and last year. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 79 and the normal low is 60. The 29-year averages are 81 and 62.

On the hot side, in 1991 the high was 95 with a low of 71. In 1980 the high was 95 with a low of 69. In 1990 the high was 93 with a low of 69. 1990 was the year of the infamous deadly Plainfield tornado. Tennis ball sized hail was reported (two and a half inch size). In 1983 the high was 92 with a low of 69. In 1984 the high was 94 with a low of 66. In 1999 the high was 90 with a low of 70. Last year the high was 91 with a low of 67. The record high of 97 occurred in 1955 and the record warmest low of 77 occurred in 1973. 12 of the 29 highs so far have been in the 70s. There have been eight 90s highs and six highs in the 80s. The record high of 97 also occurred in 1953. There was a 33-degree difference between the high and low in 2003: 92 and 59.

On the cool side, in 1986 the high was 65 with the record low of 42. In 1982 the high was 66 with a low of 43. In 1992 the high was 69 with a low of 51. Another cool high was 71 in 1987. Another cool low was 51 in 1988. The record coolest high of 63 occurred way back in 1891. 17 of the 29 lows have been 60s and eight lows have been 50s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 5:46 and sunrise is at 6:15. Sunset is at 19:33 and twilight ends at 20:02. Twilight begins tomorrow at 5:47 and sunrise is at 6:16. There's a total of 13 hours, 18 minutes of daylight today and 14 hours, 16 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 8% at midnight, will be 5% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 3:30 and moonset is at 18:29. Moonrise is at 4:47 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 59 minutes today.

Labor Day is in four days. Grandparent's Day is in ten days and Patriot's Day is in two weeks. -Bernie-