October 21: ORD

Today is October 21st. It's the 295th day of the year. 71 days remain. It's week 43 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 60 and the normal low is 40. The 29-year averages are 60 and 43.

On the warm side, in 1979 the high was 84 with the record warmest low of 70. Last year the high was 80 with a low of 60. The low of 60 last year was the first low in the 60s since the low of 66 in 1971. In 1986 the high was 77 with a low of 52. Another warm high was 72 in 1994. Other warm lows were 51 in both 1983 and 2001. Pre-1979 warm days at O'Hare were in 1978 (80/53) and in 1971 (73/66). The record high of 87 was set in 1953. 22 of the 29 highs have been in the 50s (13) and 60s (9). Three 40s highs, two 70s highs and two 80s highs complete the tally of highs.

Large spreads were 32 degrees in both 1991 (67/35) and 1999 (68/36). In 1994 the spread was 31 degrees (72/41). One of the small spreads was 5 degrees in 1983 (56/51).

On the cool side, in 1987 the high was 42 with a low of 32. In 1995 the high was 43 with a low of 36 (a 7 degree spread). In 1982 the high was 52 with a low of 27. The record low of 26 occurred in 1952 and the record coolest high of 39 was set back in 1913. 23 of the 29 lows have been 30s (12) and 40s (11). Only three lows in the 50s; one each in the 20s, 60s and 70s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:45 and sunrise is at 7:14. Sunset is at 18:01 and twilight ends at 18:30. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:46 and sunrise is at 7:15. There's a total of 10 hours, 47 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 45 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning and reaches last quarter this morning at 6:55. Illumination was 53% at midnight, will be 47% at noon and 42% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 14:32 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 0:23 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 32 minutes today.

United Nations Day is in three days. My oldest sister, Mary Ann, will celebrate a birthday in five days. Halloween is in ten days. -Bernie-