October 18: ORD

Today is October 18th. It's the 292nd day of the year. 74 days remain. It's week 42 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 61 and the normal low is 41. The 29-year averages are 62 and 41.

On the warm side, last year the high was 78 with a low of 59. In 1979 the high was 74 a low of 55. In 1994 the high was 68 with a low of 61 (a 7 degree spread). In 1985 the high was 68 with a low of 59 (a 9 degree spread). Another warm high was 73 in 2005. Another warm low was 53 in 1995. A pre-1979 warm day at O'Hare was in 1965 when the high made it all the way up to 80 and the low was 55. The record high of 87 was set in 1950. The record warmest low of 65 was set back in 1910. 21 of the 29 highs have been in the 50s (10) and 60s (11). Six 70s highs.

The large spreads were 32 degrees in 2000 (70/38) and 30 degrees in 2005 (73/43). Another small spread was nine degrees in 1988 (54/45).

On the cool side, in 1992 the high was 45 with a low of 25. In 1989 the high was 41 with a low of 32 (a 9 degree spread). Another cool low was 31 degrees in both 1997. The record low of 20 was set in 1948. The record coolest high of 38 was set back in 1930. 23 of the 29 lows have been 30s (14) and 40s (9).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:42 and sunrise is at 7:10. Sunset is at 18:06 and twilight ends at 18:34. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:43 and sunrise is at 7:11. There's a total of 10 hours, 56 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 52 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 84% at midnight, will be 80% at noon and 75% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 12:03 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 20:44 tonight. Moonset is at 13:04 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 19 minutes today.

United Nations Day is in six days. My oldest sister, Mary Ann, will celebrate a birthday in eight days. Halloween is in 13 days. -Bernie-