November 3: ORD

Today is November 3rd. It's the 308th day of the year. 58 days remain. It's week 45 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 54 and the normal low is 36. The 30-year averages are 53 and 35.

On the warm side, in 1987 the high was the record high of 75 with a low of 57. In 2005 the high was 70 with a low of 53. In 1994 the high was 68 with a low of 54. In 1978 the high was 74 with a low of 43. In 1990 the high was 70 with a low of 47. In 1980 the high was 66 with a low of 50. In 1981 the high was 68 with a low of 44. Another warm high was 66 in 2001. The record warmest low of 60 was set in 1975. 12 of the 30 highs have been 40s. Seven highs have been 50s, five highs have been 60s and four highs have been 70s. One high each has been in the 20s and 30s.

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 67 with a low of 62 (a five degree spread). In 1972 the high was 46 with a low of 41 (a five degree spread). In 1969 the high was 44 with a low of 41 (a three degree spread). In 1965 the high was 73 with a low of 50. In 1964 the high was 74 with a low of 51. In 1963 the high was 59 with a low of 21 (a 38 degree spread).

More recently, in 2001 the large spread was 31 degrees as the high was 66 with a low of 35. In 2003 the spread was five degrees (51/46) and in 1997 the spread was seven degrees (40/33).

On the cool side, in 1991 the high was the record coolest high of 24 with a low of 13. In 1995 the high was 33 with a low of 27 (a six degree spread). Two years ago the high was 40 with a low of 21. In 1989 the high was 41 with a low of 20. Other cool lows were 23 in 1996, 24 in 2002 and 25 in 1984. Other cool highs were 40 in 1997 and 42 in 1992. The record low of 11 was set in 1951. 20 of the 30 lows have been in the 20s (9) and 30s (11). One low was in the 10s (13 in 1991), five lows were in the 40s and four lows were in the 50s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:00 and sunrise is at 6:29. Sunset is at 16:44 and twilight ends at 17:13. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:01 and sunrise is at 6:31. There's a total of 10 hours, 15 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 13 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 24% at midnight, will be 28% at noon and 32% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 11:47 this morning. Moonset is at 20:48 tonight. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 1 minute today.

Election day is tomorrow. Veteran's Day is in eight days. My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday in 11 days. -Bernie-