February 19: ORD

Today is February 19th. It's the 50th day of the year. 315 days remain. It's week 8 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 36 and the normal low is 20. I've calculated the 30-year averages at 39 and 24.

On the warm side, in 1994 the high was 60 with the record warmest low of 51. In 1981 the high was 61 with a low of 33. Two years later, in 1983, the high was 55 with a low of 33. In 2002 the high was 46 with a low of 38. Four years earlier, in 1998, the high was 43 with a low of 37, a spread of six degrees. In 1984 the high was 47 with a low of 32. Another warm high was 48 in 1997. There were three other warm lows: 34 in 1992, 33 in 1980 and 32 degrees in 1986. 17 of the last 30 highs were 40s. On the warmer side, one high was in the 50s and two were 60s. On the colder side, ten highs were: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (2), 20s (2) and 30s (6). Today's high is forecast to be 20. The last time it was in the 20s was three years ago when the high was 20. Last year the high was just 14.

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 22 with a low of -4, a cold day. In 1973 the high was 35 with a low of 31, a four degree spread. In 1971 the high was 56 with a low of 38, a bonus 50s day. In 1964 the high was 35 with a low of 29, a six degree spread. In 1963 the high was 36 with a low of 29, a seven degree spread. In 1959 the high was 10 with a low of -2, another cold day.

More recently, there were small spreads of six degrees in 1982 (36/30), seven degrees in 1980 (40/33) and seven degrees in 1992 (41/34).

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was 15 with the record low of -9. The former record low of -7 occurred in 1936. Last year the high was 14 with a low of 4. Three years ago the high was 20 with a low of 1. In 1993 the high was 24 with a low of 5. The record coldest high of 9 was set in 1936 (the same year as the former record low). 21 of the last 30 lows have been: 20s (10) and 30s (11). On the colder side, eight lows were: negative single digits (1), single digits (3) and 10s (a.k.a. teens) (4). On the warmer side, one low was in the 50s.

Today is a not a major day in Chicago's snow history.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:15 and sunrise is at 6:44. Sunset is at 17:31 and twilight ends at 18:00. Chicago's sunset/end of twilight times are two minutes earlier. There's a total of 10 hours, 47 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 45 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:14 and sunrise is at 6:42. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 29% at midnight, will be 24% at noon and 20% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 3:37 and moonset is at 12:16. Moonrise is at 4:21 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 8 hours, 39 minutes which is 2 minutes longer than yesterday.

Ash Wednesday is in six days. My birthday is in two weeks, two days. A sister of mine, Christina, has a birthday in two weeks, five days. -Bernie-