January 20: ORD

Today is January 20th. It's the 20th day of the year. 345 days remain. It's week 3 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 29 and the normal low is 14. The 30-year averages are 29 and 14.

On the warm side, three years ago, in 2006, the high was 46 with a low of 32. In 1990 the high was 39 with a low of 33, a six degree spread. Two years earlier, in 1988, the high was 38 with a low of 31, a seven degree spread. In 1979 the high was 36 with a low of 32, a four degree spread. Two years later, in 1981, the high was 44 with a low of 24. Another warm high was 41 in 1999 and other warm lows were 26 in both 1986 and 1995. The record high of 63 was set back in 1906 and the record warmest low of 45 was set back in 1921. 22 of the last 30 highs were: 20s (8) and 30s (14). On the warmer side, three highs were 40s. On the colder side, three highs were in the 10s, one high was in the single digits and one high was in the negative single digits.

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable. In 1974 the high was 42 with a low of 35, a seven degree spread. In 1971 the high was 29 with a low of -2, a 31 degree spread. In 1970 the high was 0 with a low of -7, a seven degree spread and a cold day (at Midway). In 1963 the high was 5 with a low of -10, another cold day.

More recently, we had small spreads of 5 degrees in 2005 (28/23) and 7 degrees in 1995 (33/26).

On the cold side, in 1985 the high was the record coldest high of -4 with the record low of -27. A year earlier, in 1984, the high was 0 with a low of -20. A decade later, in 1994, the high was 15 with a low of -12. Last year the high was 10 with a low of -5. In 2000 the high was 19 with a low of 0. 19 of the last 30 lows have been: 10s (12) and 20s (7). On the colder side, 7 lows were: negative 20s (2), negative 10s (1), negative single digits (1) and single digits (3). Four lows were in the warmer 30s.

Today is a major day in O'Hare's snow history. In 2005, 1.5 inches fell. This was the first day of a four day, 12.7 inch period of snow. Along with the 9.8 inches that fell earlier on January 4-6, this comprised 22.5 inches or 81% of the month's total of 27.8 inches.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:46 and sunrise is at 7:17. Sunset is at 16:53 and twilight ends at 17:23. Chicago's sunset is two minutes earlier and twilight ends a minute earlier. There's a total of 9 hours, 36 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 37 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:45 and sunrise is at 7:16. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 30% at midnight, will be 26% at noon and 22% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 2:59 and moonset is at 11:59. Moonrise is at 3:59 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 9 hours.

The Presidential inauguration is today. My brother will be celebrating a birthday in four days. -Bernie-