January 28: ORD

Today is January 28th. It's the 28th day of the year. 337 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 32 and 16.

On the warm side, three years ago in 2006 the high was 49 with a low of 36. In 1989 the high was 49 with a low of 34. In 2002 the high was 47 with a low of 34. Four years before, in 1998, the high was 40 with a low of 31. Another warm high was 44 last year. Other warm lows were 31 in 1999, 29 in 1979 and 27 in 1992. The record high of 60 was set in 1914 and record warmest low of 40 was set in 1968. 16 of the last 30 highs were 30s. On the warmer side, five highs were 40s. On the colder side, nine highs were: 20s (5), 10s (a.k.a. teens)(3), and single digits (1).

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 20 with a low of -11, a 31 degree spread. In 1976 the high was 39 with a low of 3, a 36 degree spread. In 1974 the high was 34 with a low of 27, a seven degree spread. In 1970 the high was 55 with a low of 35, a bonus 50s day (at Midway). In 1968 the high was 45 with a low of 38, a seven degree spread. In 1966 the high was -4 with a low of -14, a cold day. In 1965 the high was 26 with a low of -6, a 32 degree spread. In 1963 the high was 8 with a low of -14, yet another cold day. In 1962 the high was 26 with a low of 20, a six degree spread. 1960 the high was 34 with a low of 29, a five degree spread.

More recently, there were small spreads of three degrees in both 1979 (32/29) and 1999 (34/31). The spread was six degrees in 1992 (33/27).

On the cold side, in 1997 the high was 9 with a low of -5. In 1980 the high was 11 with a low of 0. In 2004 the high was 11 with a low of 2. In 1986 the high was 18 with a low of 1. Other cold lows were 2 degrees in both 1985 and two decades later in 2005. The record low of -13 was set in 1977 and the record coldest high of -3 was set in 1966. 29 of the last 30 lows have been: single digits (9), 10s (a.k.a. teens)(6), 20s (9) and 30s (5). One low was in the colder negative single digits.

Today is not a major day in O'Hare's snow history! The next one is in two days when I'll be writing about two events.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:40 and sunrise is at 7:10. Sunset is at 17:03 and twilight ends at 17:33. Chicago's sunset/end of twilight times are 17:01/17:31. There's a total of 9 hours, 53 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 53 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:39 and sunrise is at 7:09. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 4% at midnight, will be 6% at noon and 8% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 8:12 and moonset is at 19:42. Moonrise is at 8:33 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 30 minutes and is 42 minutes longer than yesterday.

The Super Bowl is in four days. Groundhog Day is in five days. Abraham Lincoln's Birthday is in two weeks, one day. Valentine's Day is in two weeks, three days. The Daytona 500 is in two weeks, four days. President's Day is in two weeks, five days. -Bernie-