September 23: ORD

Today is September 23rd. It's the 267th day of the year. 99 days remain. It's week 39 of the year.

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 71 and the normal low is 51. The 29-year averages are 68 and 47.

On the warm side, in 2004 the high was 85 with a low of 54 (a 31 degree spread). In 1986 the high was 73 with a low of 64. Last year the high was 84 with a low of 50 (a 34 degree spread). Other warm highs were 80 in 1999 and 77 in 1987. Other warm lows were 62 in 2005 and 59 in 1984. The record high of 91 was set in 1937 and the record warmest low of 71 was set way back in 1891. 21 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s (13) and 70s (8). There have been no highs below 65 degrees (from 1996 onward): the last 12 years running.

Other large spreads (differences of 30 degrees or more between the daily high and low) were: 30 degrees in both 1979 (73/43) and 2002 (69/39). A small spread of five degrees occurred in 2005 when the high was 67 and the low was 62.

On the cool side, in 1995 the high was 58 with the record low of 29. In 1983 the high was 56 with a low of 35. In 1989 the high was 54 with a low of 37. In 1981 the high was 63 with a low of 35. In 1992 the high was 59 with a low of 40. In 1990 the high was 59 with a low of 41. Another cool low was 39 in 2002. The record coolest high of 51 was set in 1928. 22 of the last 29 lows have been 40s (13) and 50s (9).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:14 and sunrise is at 6:42. Sunset is at 18:48 and twilight ends at 19:16. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:15 and sunrise is at 6:43. There's a total of 12 hours, 6 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 2 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent, having passed last quarter yesterday at 4 minutes past midnight. Illumination was 38% at midnight, will be 33% at noon and 28% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 2 minutes past midnight. Moonset is at 15:54 this afternoon and moonrise is at 1:17 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 52 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was yesterday at 10:44.

The following events are all 20 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-