November 13: ORD

Today is November 13th. It's the 318th day of the year. 48 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 48 and the normal low is 32. The 30-year averages are 50 and 32.

On the warm side, in 1989 the high was the record high of 73 with a low of 45. Five years later, in 1994, the high was 65 with the record warmest low of 52. A year earlier, in 1993, the high was 65 with a low of 45. In 1999 we had our only other 70s high at 71 degrees with a low of 37. In 1980 the high was 61 with a low of 45. In 1978 the high was 64 with a low of 41. In 2001 the high was 63 with a low of 40. To round out the 60s highs, it was 61 in both 1987 and three years ago and 60 degrees last year. Another warm low was 43 in 1985. The tally of highs over the last 30 years is quite interesting. On the cool side, there have been eight highs in the 40s and on the warm side, eight highs in the 60s. Sandwiched in-between are five highs in the 50s. To finish out the tally, there were four highs in the 30s, three highs in the 20s and two highs in the 70s.

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable. In 1975 the high was 38 with a low of 32 (a six degree spread). In 1973 the high was 61 with a low of 50. In 1964 the high was 61 with a low of 38. In 1962 the high was 57 with a low of 26 (a 31 degree spread). In 1960 the high was 63 with a low of 37. In 1958 the high was 65 with a low of 48.

More recently, in 1985 the spread was a small one at three degrees (46/43).

On the cold side, in 1986 the high was the record coolest high of 21 with the record low of 6. In 1996 the high was 27 with a low of 17. In 1982 the high was 28 with a low of 20. In 1995 the high was 31 with a low of 18. Another cold low was 21 in 1984. Another cold high was 36 in 1992. 26 of the 30 lows were 20s (10), 30s (10) and 40s (6). Two lows were 10s, one low was in the 0s and one low was in the 50s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:12 and sunrise is at 6:42. Sunset is at 16:33 and twilight ends at 17:03. Chicago's sunrise is four minutes earlier. Chicago's sunset and end of twilight times are each two minutes earlier. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:13 and sunrise is at 6:43. There's a total of 9 hours, 51 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 51 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing gibbous. The full Beaver moon was this morning at 0:17. Illumination was 100% at midnight, will be 99% at noon and 98% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 7:24. Moonrise is at 16:33 this afternoon and moonset is at 8:42 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 51 minutes today.

My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday tomorrow. Thanksgiving is in two weeks. -Bernie-