October 31: ORD

Today is October 31st. It's the 305th day of the year. 61 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 59 and 42.

On the warm side, in 1979 the high was 75 with a low of 53. Two years later in 1981 the high was 72 with a low of 54. In 1997 the high was 65 with a low of 54. In 2001 the high was 68 with a low of 50. In Y2K the high was 70 with a low of 47. In 2003 the high was 67 with a low of 49. In 1982 the high was 64 with a low of 51. In 1990 the high was 73 with a low of 42 (a 31 degree spread). In 1999 the high was 69 with a low of 46. Another warm high was 65 in 1986. Other warm lows were 54 in 1998 and 50 in 2005. The record high of 84 was set in 1950. The record warmest low of 65 was set in 1974. 22 of the 29 highs have been 50s (12) and 60s (10). There have been three highs only in the 40s (most recently 49 in 2002) and four highs to reach into the 70s (see Y2K above for the most recent).

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 77 with a low of 65 (the record warmest low). In 1969 the high was 50 with a low of 47 (a three degree spread). In 1968 the high was 79 with a low of 42 (a 37 degree spread). In 1959 the high was 50 with a low of 46 (a four degree spread).

More recently, the small spreads were five degrees in 1998 (59/54) and seven degrees in 2005 (57/50).

On the cool side, in 1996 the high was 40 with a low of 26. In 1993 the high was 44 with a low of 25. Another cool high was 49 in 2002. Another cool low was 26 in 1988. The record low of 23 and record coolest high of 31 were both set in 1873. 26 of the 29 lows have been 30s (8), 40s (11) and 50s (7). There have been three lows in the 20s (see 1996 above for the most recent).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:57 and sunrise is at 7:26. Sunset is at 17:48 and twilight ends at 18:17. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:58 and sunrise is at 7:27. There's a total of 10 hours, 22 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 20 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 5% at midnight, will be 7% at noon and 10% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 10:22 this morning. Moonset is at 19:04 tonight. Moonlight time is 8 hours, 42 minutes today.

Halloween is today. Standard time resumes in two days. Election day is in four days. Veteran's Day is in 11 days. My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday in two weeks. -Bernie-