November 24: ORD

Today is November 24th. It's the 329th day of the year. 37 days remain. It's week 48 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 43 and the normal low is 28. The 30-year averages are 43 and 26.

On the warm side, in 2001 the high was 64 with a low of 49. In 1988 the high was 59 with a low of 35. A decade later, in 1998, the high was 58 with a low of 33. Two years ago the high was 60 with a low of 31. Other warm highs were 54 in 1984, 53 in 1979 and 53 in 1990. The record high of 69 and record warmest low of 54 were set in 1966. 20 of the last 30 highs were in the 30s (9) and 40s (11). Five highs were 50s, three highs were 20s and just two highs made it into the 60s.

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable. In 1974 the high was 60 with a low of 31. In 1966 the high was 68 with a low of 54.

More recently, the spread was 34 degrees in 1989 (44/10). The spread was five degrees in 1992 (42/37) and seven degrees in 1996 (39/32).

On the cold side, in 1985 the high was 27 with a low of 11. Three years earlier, in 1982, the high was 28 with a low of 14. In 1995 the high was 34 with a low of 13. Four years earlier, in 1991, the high was 28 with a low of 19. Other cold lows were 10 in 1989, 16 in 1997 and 16 in 2005. Other cold highs were 30 in 1983 and two decades later in 2003. The record low of -2 and the record coldest high of 7 were set in 1950. 29 of the last 30 lows were 10s (8), 20s (10) and 30s (11). One low was in the 40s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:24 and sunrise is at 6:55. Chicago's twilight and sunrise times are three minutes earlier. Sunset is at 16:25 and twilight ends at 16:56. Chicago's sunset and twilight times are two minutes earlier. There's a total of 9 hours, 30 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 32 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:25 and sunrise is at 6:56. The moon is waning crescent and heading towards the new moon on Thanksgiving Day at 10:55. Illumination was 11% at midnight, will be 8% at noon and 6% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 4:02. Moonset is at 14:23 and moonrise is at 5:07 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 21 minutes today.

Thanksgiving is in three days. A sister of mine, Regina, will celebrate a birthday in 20 days and Bill of Rights day is in three weeks. -Bernie-