January 1: ORD

Today is January 1st. It's the 1st day of the year. 364 days remain. It's week 1 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 30 and the normal low is 15. The 30-year averages are 32 and 19.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was 48 with a low of 35. Three years before, in 1997, the high was 39 with a low of 33, a six degree spread. Two years ago the high was 43 with a low of 29. In 1994 the high was 41 with a low of 30. Three years ago the high was 45 with a low of 26. In 1996 the high was 38 with a low of 32, a six degree spread. In 2004 the high was 49 with a low of 21. Other warm lows were 31 in 1992, 30 in 1987 and 27 in 2003. The record high of 65 was set way back in 1876. The record warmest low of 43 was set back in 1950. 22 of the last 30 highs were: 20s (9) and 30s (13). On the warmer side, seven highs were 40s. On the colder side, one high was in the single-digits. No highs were in the 10s.

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable. In 1978 the high was 32 with a low of -1, a 33 degree spread. In 1976 the high was 38 with a low of 33, a five degree spread. In 1974 the high was 8 with a low of -3, a cold day. In 1970 the high was 29 with a low of 23, a six degree spread (at Midway). In 1969 the high was 5 with a low of -7, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 16 with a low of -11, another cold day . In 1965 the high was 38 with a low of 34, a four degree spread. In 1964 the high was 25 with a low of -13, a 35 degree spread and cold.

More recently, we had small spreads of three degrees in 1987 (33/30), five degrees in 1990 (30/25), five degrees in 1992 (36/31), six degrees in 2003 (33/27), seven degrees in 1981 (33/26) and seven degrees in 1982 (21/14).

On the cold side, in 1988 the high was 8 with a low of -1. The record low of -10 and the record coldest high of 5 were set in 1969. 29 of the last 30 lows were: 0s (5), 10s (9), 20s (9) and 30s (6). On the colder side, one low was in the negative 0s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:22. Sunset is at 16:32 and twilight ends at 17:04. There's a total of 9 hours, 10 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 14 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:22. The moon is waxing crescent and will reach first quarter in three days at 5:56. Illumination was 19% at midnight, will be 23% at noon and 28% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 10:06 and moonset is at 21:49. Moonrise is at 10:26 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 43 minutes today.

Today is a major snow day in O'Hare's history. Ten years ago, in 1999, 2.0 inches fell. This was the first day of a three day, 21.6 inch storm. This storm comprised 73% of the month's total of 29.6 inches.

New Year's Day is today. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is in two weeks, four days and my brother will be celebrating a birthday in three weeks, two days. -Bernie-