February 10: ORD

Today is February 10th. It's the 41st day of the year. 324 days remain. It's week 6 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 33 and the normal low is 18. I've calculated the 30-year averages at 31 and 16.

On the warm side, in 1996 the high was 53 with a low of 36. Three years later, in 1999, the high was 60 with a low of 28, a 32 degree spread. A year earlier, in 1998, the high was 48 with a low of 30. Other warm highs were 46 in both 1987 and 2002. Other warm lows were 35 in 1984 and 33 in 1993. The record high of 63 was set way back in 1876. The record warmest low of 43 was set way back in 1886. The record high and record warmest lows are being challenged by today's warm air mass. 18 of the last 30 highs were: 20s (8) and 30s (10). On the warmer side, five highs were 40s, one was a 50 and one was a 60. On the colder side, four highs were 10s (a.k.a. teens) and one was in the single digits.

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1976 the high was 58 with a low of 39, a bonus 50s day. In 1968 the high was 15 with a low of 2, a cold day. In 1966 the high was 53 with a low of 31, another bonus 50s day. In 1965 the high was 52 with a low of 25, yet another bonus 50s day! In 1962 the high was 24 with a low of 17, a seven degree spread.

More recently, there were small spreads of four degrees in 1983 (30/26), four degrees in 1984 (39/35), five degrees in 1993 (38/33) and six degrees in 1997 (30/24).

On the cold side, in 1982 the high was 5 with a low of -12. Last year the high was 16 with a low of -4. Two years ago the high was 13 with a low of -1. In 1979 the high was 12 with a low of 0. In 1994 the high was 21 with a low of -8. In 1986 the high was 18 with a low of -2. In 1980 the high was 21 with a low of 4. Another cold low was 6 in 1989. Other cold highs were 20 in both 1988 and 2001. The record low of -18 and record coldest high of -1 were set on the same day way back in 1899. 12 of the last 30 lows have been 20s. Even colder, 14 lows have been: negative 10s (1), negative single digits (1), single digits (5) and 10s (a.k.a. teens)(4). On the warmer side, four lows were in the 30s.

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1981, 9.7 inches fell. This was the second day of a three day, 11.6 inch storm. This storm comprised 73% of the month's total. In 1988, 4.8 inches fell. This was the first day of a two day, 9.1 inch storm.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:27 and sunrise is at 6:56. Sunset is at 17:20 and twilight ends at 17:49. Chicago's sunset/end of twilight times are 17:18 and 17:47. There's a total of 10 hours, 24 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 22 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:26 and sunrise is at 6:55. The moon reached full yesterday (full Snow moon) at 8:49. Illumination was 99% at midnight, will be 98% at noon and 96% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 7:20. Moonrise is at 19:00. Moonset is at 7:44 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 20 minutes which is 49 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday is in two days. Valentine's Day is in four days. The Daytona 500 is in five days. President's Day is in six days. -Bernie-