November 11: ORD

Today is November 11th. It's the 316th day of the year. 50 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 49 and the normal low is 34. The 30-year averages are 46 and 32.

On the warm side, in 1982 the high was 61 with a low of 49. Another warm high was 60 three years ago. Another warm low was 44 in 2003. 28 of the 30 highs have been 30s (7), 40s (10) and 50s (11). Only two highs have been 60s. The record high of 74 was set in 1964 (at Midway) and the record warmest low of 62 was set way back in 1882.

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable. In 1972 the high was 45 with a low of 41 (a four degree spread). In 1969 the high was 49 with a low of 43 (a six degree spread). In 1964 the high was 73 with a low of 57. In 1961 the high was 65 with a low of 33 (a 32 degree spread). In 1958 the high was 62 with a low of 37.

More recently, the small spreads were four degrees in 1985 (40/36), five degrees in 2002 (41/36), six degrees in 1991 (38/32) and seven degrees two years ago (41/34) .

On the cold side, in 1986 the high was 31 with a low of 20. In 1995 the high was 36 with a low of 17. A year later, in 1996, the high was 32 with a low of 22. A year after that, in 1997, the high was 33 with a low of 25. In 1979 the high was 40 with a low of 18. In 1984 the high was 35 with a low of 25. A year earlier, in 1983, the high was 36 with a low of 24. Another cold high was 38 in 1991. The record low of 15 was set in 1950 and the record coldest high of 28 was set way back in 1894. 23 of the 30 lows have been in the 20s (9) and 30s (14). Five lows have been in the 40s and two lows were in the 10s (1979 and 1995).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:10 and sunrise is at 6:39. Sunset is at 16:35 and twilight ends at 17:05. Chicago's sunrise is three minutes earlier. Chicago's sunset and end of twilight times are each two minutes earlier. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:11 and sunrise is at 6:41. There's a total of 9 hours, 56 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 55 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing gibbous. The full Beaver moon is Thursday at 0:17. Illumination was 94% at midnight, will be 97% at noon and 98% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 4:43. Moonrise is at 15:14 this afternoon and moonset is at 6:02 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 29 minutes today.

Veteran's Day is today. My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday in three days. Thanksgiving is in 16 days. -Bernie-