November 8: ORD

Today is November 8th. It's the 313th day of the year. 53 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 50 and the normal low is 35. The 30-year averages are 52 and 34.

On the warm side, in 1983 the high was 64 with a low of 48. In 2002 the high was 63 with a low of 48. Two years ago the high was 64 with a low of 46. In 1994 the high was 61 with a low of 48. In 1999 the high was 71 with a low of 38 (a 33 degree spread). In 2005 the high was 62 with a low of 47. In 1984 the high was 64 with a low of 44. Other warm highs were 66 degrees in 1981 and 61 in both 1980 and 1986. The record high of 73 was set in 1931 and the record warmest low of 57 was set in 1977. 26 of the 30 highs have been 40s (9), 50s (8) and 60s (9). Three highs have been in the 30s (see below in "coldest") and one high was in the 70s (see "1999").

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable. In 1977 the high was 63 with a low of 56 (a seven degree spread). The low was 57 (the record warmest) at Midway in 1977. In 1972 the high was 43 with a low of 38 (a five degree spread). In 1964 the high was 68 with a low of 36 (a 32 degree spread). In both 1960 and 1962 the high was 43 with a low of 37 (six degree spreads).

More recently, the small spread was seven degrees in 1998 (40/33).

On the cold side, in 1991 the high was 32 with the record low of 11. Four years later, in 1995, the high was also 32 but the low was seven degrees higher at 18. In 2003 the high was 33 with a low of 21. In 1990 the high was 40 with a low of 22. Another cold low was 26 in 1993. Another cold high was 40 in 1998. 15 of the 30 lows have been in the 30s. Eight lows have been in the 40s, five in the 20s and two in the 10s (see 1991 and 1995).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:06 and sunrise is at 6:36. Sunset is at 16:38 and twilight ends at 17:08. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:07 and sunrise is at 6:37. There's a total of 10 hours, 2 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 2 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing gibbous. The full Beaver moon is Thursday at 0:17. Illumination was 71% at midnight, will be 75% at noon and 80% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 1:08. Moonrise is at 14:00 this afternoon and moonset is at 2:16 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 8 minutes today.

Veteran's Day is in three days. My sister-in-law celebrates a birthday in six days. -Bernie-