September 4: ORD

Today is September 4th. It's the 248th day of the year. 118 days remain. It's week 36 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 78 and the normal low is 58. The 29-year averages are 80 and 58.

On the hot side, in 1983 the high was the record high of 95 with a low of 67. In 1990 the high was 91 with a low of 66. In 1999 the high was 92 with a low of 65. Other hot highs were 89 last year and 88 in 1995. Other warm lows were 71 in 1985 and 68 in 1980. The record warmest low of 74 was set in 1971. 16 highs have been in the 70s and nine have been in the 80s (of the past 29).

On the cool side, in 1997 the high was 71 with a co-record low of 45. In 1994 the high was 66 with a low of 53. In 1984 the high was 73 with a low of 47. The other co-record low of 45 occurred in 1982. The record coolest high of 60 was set in 1902. 25 of the 29 lows have been 50s (14) and 60s (11).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 5:54 and sunrise is at 6:22. Sunset is at 19:21 and twilight ends at 19:50. Twilight begins tomorrow at 5:55 and sunrise is at 6:23. There's a total of 12 hours, 59 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 56 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent, heading towards the first quarter on Sunday at 9:04. Illumination was 20% at midnight, will be 24% at noon and 29% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 11:40 and moonset is at 21:16. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 36 minutes today.

Grandparent's Day is in three days and Patriot's Day is in seven days. Today is the second anniversary of the death of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin (the defensive act of a sting ray). -Bernie-