November 20: ORD

Today is November 20th. It's the 325th day of the year. 41 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 44 and the normal low is 30. The 30-year averages are 47 and 31.

On the warm side, in 1982 the high was 66 with a low of 42. A decade later, in 1992, the high was 63 with a low of 40. Two years later, in 1994, the high was 59 with a low of 44. Last year the high was 55 with a low of 45. Four years earlier, in 2003, the high was 65 with a low of 34 (a 31 degree spread). Two decades earlier, in 1983, the high was 58 with a low of 40. Four years earlier, in 1979, the high was 60 with a low of 37. In 2004 the high was 54 with a low of 43. Other warm highs were 58 in 1989 and the year after in 1990. The record high of 68 was set back in 1930 (remember yesterday's record was 75 in 1930) and the record warmest low of 62 was set in 1913. 24 of the last 30 highs were in the 30s (7), 40s (9) and 50s (8). There were four highs in the 60s and two highs in the 20s. No highs have yet to make 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 1977 and 1975 the highs were 60 with lows of 35. In 1967 the high was 34 with a low of 32 (a two degree spread).

More recently, the spread was four degrees in 1986 (37/33). In 1978 the spread was seven degrees (32/25) and two decades later, in 1998, the spread was also seven degrees (34/27).

On the cold side, in 1985 the high was 27 with a low of 17. 15 years later, in 2000, the high was 29 with a low of 18. Other cold lows were 18 in 1984 and 21 three years later in 1987. Another cold high was 32 in 1978. The record low and record coldest high were set in the 19th century. The record low of 8 was set in 1873 and the record coldest high of 20 was set in 1887. 27 of the last 30 lows were 20s (11), 30s (10) and 40s (6). Three lows were in the very cold 10s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:20 and sunrise is at 6:50. (Chicago's twilight is four minutes earlier and sunrise is three minutes earlier). Sunset is at 16:27 and twilight ends at 16:58. (Chicago's sunset is a minute earlier and twilight ends two minutes earlier). There's a total of 9 hours, 37 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 38 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:21 and sunrise is at 6:52. The moon is waning crescent and reached last quarter yesterday at 15:31. Illumination was 46% at midnight, will be 41% at noon and 36% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 12:55 and moonrise is at 0:46 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 55 minutes today.

Thanksgiving is in a week. A sister of mine, Regina, will celebrate a birthday in 24 days and Bill of Rights day is in 25 days. -Bernie-