January 25: ORD

Today is January 25th. It's the 25th day of the year. 340 days remain. It's week 4 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 14. The 30-year averages are 31 and 14.

On the warm side, in 1981 the high was 51 with a low of 37. Eight years later, in 1989, the high was 49 with a low of 37. In 2002 the high was 50 with a low of 27. Another warm high was 43 in 2005. Another warm low was 26 in 1994. The record high of 67 was set in 1950 and record warmest low of 45 was set back in 1916. 22 of the last 30 highs were: 20s (9) and 30s (13). On the warmer side, two highs were 40s and two were 50s. On the colder side, four highs were in the 10s (a.k.a. teens).

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable. In 1973 the high was 54 with a low of 31, a bonus 50s day. In 1972 the high was 9 with a low of 1, a cold day. In 1971 the high was 44 with a low of 10, a 34 degree spread. In 1967 the high was 51 with a low of 30, a bonus 50s day. In 1963 the high was 8 with a low of -9, another cold day. In 1959 the high was 26 with a low of 19, a seven degree spread.

More recently, there were no small spreads, unusual for any day. In 1988 the spread was 31 degrees as the high was 29 with a low of -2.

On the cold side, in 1982 the high was 10 with a low of -1. Last year the high was 20 with a low of -5. In 1991 the high was 16 with a low of -1. Four years earlier, in 1987, the high was 19 with a low of -1. Other cold lows were -2 in 1988, -1 in 1985 and 1 in 1997. Another cold high was 18 in 1979. The record low of -20 and record coldest high of -10 were set on the same day way back in 1897. Those temps were so cold, I hope that doesn't ever happen again! 17 of the last 30 lows have been: 10s (7) and 20s (10). 11 lows were colder: six lows in the negative single digits and five lows in the single digits. Two lows were in the warmer 30s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:43 and sunrise is at 7:13. Sunset is at 16:59 and twilight ends at 17:29. There's a total of 9 hours, 46 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 46 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:42 and sunrise is at 7:12. The moon is waning crescent and will reach new tomorrow at 1:55. Illumination was 1% at midnight, will be 0% at noon and 0% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 6:57 and moonset is at 16:29. Moonrise is at 7:25 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 32 minutes.

The Super Bowl is in a week. Groundhog Day is in eight days. Abraham Lincoln's Birthday is in two weeks, four days. Valentine's Day is in two weeks, six days. President's Day is in three weeks, one day. -Bernie-