November 19: ORD

Today is November 19th. It's the 324th day of the year. 42 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 45 and the normal low is 30. The 30-year averages are 50 and 33.

On the warm side, in 1983 the high was 63 with a low of 51. Eight years later, in 1991, the high was 70 with a low of 44. In 1979 the high was 65 with a low of 47. Three years later, in 1982, the high was 60 with a low of 48. In 2004 the high was 55 with a low of 49 (just a six degree spread). Five years earlier, in 1999, the high was 59 with a low of 39. Last year the high was 59 with a low of 38. Another warm high was 63 in 1985 and another warm low was 41 in 1988. The record high of 75 was set back in 1930 and the record warmest low of 61 was set just four years after that in 1934. 21 of the 30 highs were in the 40s (11) and 50s (10). There were four highs in the 30s and also four highs in the 60s. Only one high made it into 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 65 with a low of 39. In 1972 the high was 39 with a low of 33 (a six degree spread). In 1971 the high was 43 with a low of 37 (a six degree spread). In 1968 the high was 34 with a low of 27 (a seven degree spread). In 1961 the high was 33 with a low of 30 (a three degree spread).

More recently, the spread was three degrees in 1992 (42/39). In 1988 the spread was seven degrees (48/41). In 1985 the spread was 37 degrees (63/26).

On the cold side, in 1997 the high was 33 with a low of 22. A year earlier, in 1996, the high was 32 with a low of 26 (a six degree spread). In 2000 the high was 40 with a low of 20. In 1984 the high was 37 with a low of 23. Two years later, in 1986, the high was 34 with a low of 27 (a spread of seven degrees). Another cold low was 21 in 1980. The record low and record coldest high were set way back in 1894 at 10 and 22 degrees respectively. 24 of the 30 lows were 20s (13) and 30s (11). Five lows were 40s 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 6:19 and sunrise is at 6:49. (Chicago's twilight is four minutes earlier and sunrise is three minutes earlier). Sunset is at 16:28 and twilight ends at 16:59. (Chicago is two minutes earlier). There's a total of 9 hours, 39 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 40 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:20 and sunrise is at 6:50. The moon is waning and reaches last quarter today at 15:31. Illumination was 57% at midnight, will be 52% at noon and 46% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 12:31 and moonrise is at 23:38 tonight. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 53 minutes today.

Thanksgiving is in eight days. A sister of mine, Regina, will celebrate a birthday in 25 days and Bill of Rights day is in 26 days. -Bernie-