November 10: ORD

Today is November 10th. It's the 315th day of the year. 51 days remain. It's week 46 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 50 and the normal low is 35. The 30-year averages are 50 and 33.

On the warm side, in 1999 the high was 69 with a low of 47. Five years later in 2004 the high was 62 with a low of 47. Other warm highs were 64 in 1998, 63 in 1978, 62 in 1982 and 62 in 2002. Another warm low was 48 in 1992. 22 of the 30 highs have been 40s (10) and 50s (12). Six highs have been 60s and two highs have been 30s.

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable. In 1977 the high was 39 with a low of 34 (a five degree spread). In 1975 the high was 68 with a low of 38 (a 30 degree spread). In 1974 the high was 50 with a low of 46 (a four degree spread). In 1972 the high was 45 with a low of 41 (a four degree spread). In 1969 the high was 46 with a low of 41 (a five degree spread). In 1964 the high was 61 with a low of 37. In 1963 the high was 61 with a low of 35.

More recently, the small spreads were three degrees in 1992 (51/48) and four degrees in 1985 (40/36).

On the cold side, in 1996 the high was 31 with a low of 24 (a seven degree spread). In 1979 the high was 34 with a low of 22. In 1986 the high was 42 with the record low of 18. Other cold lows were 20 in 1991, 24 in 1981 and 25 in 2003. The record coolest high of 28 was set in 1926. 22 of the 30 lows have been in the 20s (10) and 30s (12). Seven lows have been in the 40s and one low was in the 10s (1996).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:08 and sunrise is at 6:38. Sunset is at 16:36 and twilight ends at 17:06. Chicago's sunrise is three minutes earlier. Chicago's sunset and end of twilight times are each two minutes earlier. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:10 and sunrise is at 6:39. There's a total of 9 hours, 58 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 58 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing gibbous. The full Beaver moon is Thursday at 0:17. Illumination was 88% at midnight, will be 91% at noon and 94% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 3:28. Moonrise is at 14:46 this afternoon and moonset is at 4:43 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 42 minutes today.

Veteran's Day is tomorrow. My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday in four days. Thanksgiving is in 17 days. -Bernie-