October 30: ORD

Today is October 30th. It's the 304th day of the year. 62 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 55 and the normal low is 37. The 29-year averages are 61 and 40.

On the warm side, in 1999 the high was 76 with a low of 56. Ten years earlier in 1989 the high was 75 with a low of 55. In 2004 the high was 72 with a low of 50. In 1990 the high was 73 with a low of 48. In 1998 the high was 65 with a low of 56 (a nine degree spread). In 1981 the high was 75 with a low of 45 (a 30 degree spread). In 1982 the high was 67 with a low of 50. Other warm highs were 72 in 1987, 70 in 2003, 70 two years ago and 67 in 1979. Another warm low was 47 in 2001. The record high is 85, set in 1950. The record warmest low of 62 was set in 1974. The tally of highs over the last 29 years is quite interesting. There have been five highs in the 40s, seven highs in the 50s, nine highs in the 60s and eight highs in the 70s.

In looking back through the years to the first October at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable. In 1974 the high was 76 with a low of 62 (the record warmest low). In 1971 the high was 80 with a low of 55. That high of 80 has been the only 80s high at O'Hare. In 1966 the spread was 30 degrees as the high was 52 with a low of 22. That low of 22 was just a degree higher than the current record low. In 1959 the spread was nine degrees (49/40).

More recently, the large spreads were 36 degrees in 1987 (72/36), 32 degrees two years ago (70/38) and 30 degrees in 2003 (70/40). The small spreads were four degrees in 1992 (46/42), five degrees in 1995 (45/40), five degrees in 2001 (52/47) and seven degrees in 2002 (48/41).

On the cool side, in 1988 the high was 45 with the record low of 21. In 1993 the high was 40 with a low of 30. Other cool highs were 45 in 1995, 46 in 1992 and 48 in 2002. Other cool lows were 24 in 1980 and 30 in 1996. The record coolest high of 28 was set in 1917. 22 of the 29 lows have been 30s (12) and 40s (10). There have been two lows in the 20s and five lows in the 50s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:55 and sunrise is at 7:25. Sunset is at 17:49 and twilight ends at 18:18. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:57 and sunrise is at 7:26. There's a total of 10 hours, 24 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 23 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent and was new two days ago at 18:14. Illumination was 2% at midnight, will be 3% at noon and 5% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 9:21 this morning. Moonset is at 18:23 tonight. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 2 minutes today, but such a small amount is visible.

Halloween is tomorrow. Election day is in five days. Veteran's Day is in 12 days. My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday in 15 days. -Bernie-