February 23: ORD

Today is February 23rd. It's the 54th day of the year. 311 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. ORD has been the official site of record for Chicago since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 37 and the normal low is 22. I've calculated the 30-year averages at 40 and 25.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was the record high of 66 with the record low of 51. The old record high of 60 occurred in 1977 and the old record warmest low of 43 occurred in 1961. In 1984 the high was 59 with a low of 37. In 1996 the high was 54 with a low of 37. In 1985 the high was 50 with a low of 33. Other warm highs were 51 in 1995, 50 in 1998 and 49 in 1983. Another warm low was 37 in 2004. 20 of the last 30 highs were: 30s (12) and 40s (8). On the warmer side, five highs were 50s and one was a 60. On the colder side, four highs were 20s.

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 26 with a low of 19, a seven degree spread. In 1977 the high was 58 with a low of 39, a bonus 50s day. In 1975 the high was 37 with a low of 33, a four degree spread. In 1971 the high was 35 with a low of 31, a four degree spread. In 1969 the high was 40 with a low of 35, a five degree spread. In 1968 the high was 37 with a low of 7, a 30 degree spread. In 1966 the high was 32 with a low of 25, a seven degree spread. In 1961 the high was 50 with a low of 38, another bonus 50s day.

More recently, we had a spread of five degrees in 1981 as the high was 38 with a low of 33.

On the cold side, in 1993 the high was 20 with a low of 2. In 1989 the high was 23 with a low of 4. The record low of -18 was set way back in 1873 and the record coldest high of -2 was set way back in 1889. 21 of the last 30 lows have been: 20s (11) and 30s (10). Eight lows were colder: in the 10s (a.k.a. teens) (6) and single digits (2). One low was in the warmer 50s (the record warmest low).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1994, 5.1 inches fell. This was the second day of a four day stretch in which 16.1 inches fell. In 1965, 1.8 inches fell. This was the first of three days in which 10.0 inches fell.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:09 and sunrise is at 6:38. Sunset is at 17:36 and twilight ends at 18:05. Chicago's sunset is at 17:34 and twilight ends at 18:02. There's a total of 10 hours, 58 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 56 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:08 and sunrise is at 6:36. The moon is waning crescent and heading towards new tomorrow night at 19:35. Illumination was 3% at midnight, will be 2% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 5:53 and moonset is at 16:27. Moonrise is at 6:17 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 34 minutes which is 39 minutes longer than yesterday.

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