January 4: ORD

Today is January 4th. It's the 4th day of the year. 361 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 17.

On the warm side, in 1997 the high was the record high of 64 with a near-record warmest low of 39. A decade later (and two years ago), in 2007, the high was 52 with a near-record warmest low of 39. The record warmest low remains 41 degrees, set a century ago in 1909. In 1998 the high was 56 with a low of 34. Three years ago, in 2006, the high was 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. In 1993 the high was 47 with a low of 31. In 1990 the high was 46 with a low of 25. Two years after that, in 1992, the high was 38 with a low of 32, a six degree spread. Other warm lows were 30 in 2005 and 29 in 2004. 15 of the last 30 highs were 30s. On the warmer side, six highs were: 40s (3), 50s (2) and 60s (1). On the colder side, nine highs were: 0s (4), 10s (1) and 20s (4).

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable. In 1971 the high was 43 with a low of 12, a 31 degree spread. In 1969 the high was 3 with a low of -8, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 6 with a low of -7, another cold day. In 1963 the high was 34 with a low of 27, a seven degree spread. In 1961 the high was 32 with a low of 1, a 31 degree spread. In 1959 the high was 0 with a low of -10, yet another cold day.

More recently, we had small spreads of four degrees: 1980 (30/26) and 2004 (33/29). Another small spread was five degrees in 2005 (35/30).

On the cold side, a decade ago, in 1999, the high was 5 with a low of -9. In 1981 the high was 5 with a low of -9 as well. In 1979 the high was 4 with a low of -7. In 1995 the high was 7 with a low of -1. In 1988 the high was 19 with a low of -9. Other cold lows were 1 in 1985 and 3 in 1991. 22 of the last 30 lows were: 10s (8), 20s (7) and 30s (7). Eight lows were colder: five lows were negative zeros and three lows were zeros.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:22. Sunset is at 16:35 and twilight ends at 17:06. There's a total of 9 hours, 13 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 15 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:22. The moon is waxing crescent and reaches first quarter today at 5:56. Illumination was 47% at midnight, will be 53% at noon and 58% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 0:01 and moonrise is at 11:11. Moonset is at 1:12 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 50 minutes today.

Today is a major snow day in O'Hare's history. Four years ago, in 2005, 1.2 inches fell. This was the first day of a three day, 9.8 inch storm.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is in two weeks, one day. The presidential inauguration is in two weeks, two days. My brother will be celebrating a birthday in two weeks, six days. -Bernie-