October 27: ORD

Today is October 27th. It's the 301st day of the year. 65 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 57 and the normal low is 38. The 29-year averages are 58 and 40.

On the warm side, in 1984 the high was 76 with the record warmest low of 63. In 1998 the high was 70 with a low of 56. In 1989 the high was 76 with a low of 49. In 2000 the high was 71 with a low of 51. Other warm lows were 53 in 2004 and 52 in 1996. In looking back through the years to the first October at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable. In 1976 the low was 23 which was a degree lower than the record low, but not official. In 1974 the high was 72 with a low of 38, a 34 degree spread. In 1970 the high was 67 with a low of 60, a seven degree spread. Other seven degree spreads were in 1967 (41/34) and 1959 (40/33). In 1962 the spread was 30 degrees as the high was 64 with a low of 34. The record high of 83 was set in 1927. 24 of the 29 highs have been in the 40s (6), 50s (8) and 60s (10). Four highs made it into the 70s and just one in the 30s.

The large spreads were 33 degrees in 1983 (65/32) and 32 degrees in 1982 (65/33). The small spreads were six degrees in 1991 (53/47), seven degrees two years ago (45/38), eight degrees in 2002 (46/38), nine degrees in 1995 (58/49) and nine degrees in 2004 (62/53).

On the cool side, in 1997 the high was 38 with a low of 26. In 1980 the high was 43 with a low of 27. In 2001 the high was 45 with a low of 30. Other cool highs were 44 in 2003, 45 two years ago and 46 in both 1993 and 2002. The record low of 24 was set in 1942 and the record coolest high of 34 was set in 1925. 15 of the 29 lows have been 30s. Seven lows have been 40s, four lows have been 50s, two in the 20s and one in the 60s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:52 and sunrise is at 7:21. Sunset is at 17:53 and twilight ends at 18:22. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:53 and sunrise is at 7:22. There's a total of 10 hours, 32 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 30 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent, heading towards the new moon tomorrow at 18:14. Illumination was 3% at midnight, will be 2% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 6:05 this morning. Moonset is at 16:55 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 7:11 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 50 minutes today.

Halloween is in four days. Election day is in eight days. Veteran's Day is in 15 days. My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday in 18 days. -Bernie-