November 18: ORD

Today is November 18th. It's the 323rd day of the year. 43 days remain. It's week 47 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 46 and the normal low is 30. The 30-year averages are 49 and 34.

On the warm side, in 1979 the high was the near-record high of 71 with a low of 44. Twenty years later, in 1999, the high and low were the same (71 and 44). The record high remains 72 degrees, set in 1953. In 1991 the high was 67 with a low of 44. A decade later, in 2001, the high was 63 with a low of 48. In 1985 the high was 60 with a low of 50. In 2004 the high was 61 with a low of 49. A year earlier, in 2003, the high was 61 with a low of 48, nearly the same. Other warm highs were 60 in 1998 and 57 in 1983. The record warmest low of 55 was set in 1941. The tally of highs over the last 30 years: nine highs in the 40s, seven in the 50s, six in the 60s, five in the 30s, two 70s and one in the 20s.

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable. In 1976 the high was 58 with a low of 26 (a 32 degree spread). In 1975 the high was 68 with a low of 44. In 1973 the high was 60 with a low of 43. In 1972 the high was 35 with a low of 32 (a three degree spread). In 1971 the high was 61 with a low of 43. In 1968 the high was 39 with a low of 34 (a five degree spread).

More recently, the spread was five degrees in 1995 (39/34). Three years had spreads of six degrees: 1992 (41/35), 1996 (34/28) and last year (43/37).

On the cold side, in 1989 the high was 26 with a low of 15. In 2000 the high was 32 with a low of 21. Another cold low was 21 in 2005. Another cold high was 34 in 1996. The record low of 8 was set way back in 1880 and the record coldest high of 22 was set back in 1903. 22 of the 30 lows were 20s (10) and 30s (12). Six lows were 40s, one low was in the 10s 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 6:18 and sunrise is at 6:48. (Chicago is four minutes earlier). Sunset is at 16:29 and twilight ends at 16:59. (Chicago is two minutes earlier). There's a total of 9 hours, 41 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 41 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:19 and sunrise is at 6:49. The moon is waning gibbous and is heading towards last quarter tomorrow at 15:31. Illumination was 68% at midnight, will be 63% at noon and 57% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 12:04 and moonrise is at 22:26 tonight. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 38 minutes today.

Thanksgiving is in nine days. A sister of mine, Regina, will celebrate a birthday in 26 days and Bill of Rights day is in 27 days. -Bernie-