October 26: ORD

Today is October 26th. It's the 300th day of the year. 66 days remain. It's week 44 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 58 and the normal low is 38. The 29-year averages are 57 and 40.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was 76 with a low of 59. In 1989 the high was 75 with a low of 50. In 1996 the high was 68 with a low of 56. In 1998 the high was 73 with a low of 50. Another warm high was 70 in 1985. Other warm lows were 53 last year and in 2004. The low was 52 in 1986. In looking back through the years to the first October at O'Hare in 1959, the one low that came close to the 60s was the low of 57 in 1971. The high in 1971 was 78. Therefore, it will be a first when a low in the 60s finally does occur. A pre-1979 warm day at O'Hare was in 1963 when the high was 83 and the low was 45, a 38 degree spread. The record high of 84 was set in 1963 at Midway and record warmest low of 63 was set in 1939. 25 of the 29 highs have been in the 40s (7), 50s (10) and 60s (8). Four highs made it into the 70s.

The lone large spread ('79-'07) was 33 degrees in 1982 (64/31). Back in 1966 the high was 62 with a low of 25, a 37 degree spread. The small spreads were three degrees two years ago (46/43), five degrees in 2001 (41/36), seven degrees in 1986 (59/52), seven degrees in 1991 (54/47), seven degrees in 2004 (60/53) and nine degrees in 2002 (47/38). Back in 1959, the high was 39 with a low of 34, a mere 5 degree spread.

On the cool side, in 1980 the high was 42 with a low of 26. In 1988 the high was 44 with a low of 28. Other cold lows were 27 in 1979 and 28 in 1990. Other cool highs were 41 in 2001, 45 in 2003 and 46 in 1997. The records were set back in 1942: the record low of 22 and record coolest high of 37. The low at O'Hare in 1962 was 19, but O'Hare was not the official station of record until 1980. 12 of the 29 lows have been 30s. Seven lows have been 50s, six lows have been 40s and four in the 20s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:20. Sunset is at 17:54 and twilight ends at 18:23. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:52 and sunrise is at 7:21. There's a total of 10 hours, 34 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 32 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 7% at midnight, will be 5% at noon and 3% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 5:00 this morning. Moonset is at 16:32 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 6:05 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 32 minutes today.

My oldest sister, Mary Ann, is celebrating a birthday today. Halloween is in five days. -Bernie-