Monday, August 10, 2009

August 10: ORD

Today is August 10th. It's the 222nd day of the year. 143 days remain. It's week 32 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 82 and the normal low is 63. I've calculated the 30-year averages at 82 and 63.


On the hot side, there were no days of a mean of at least 11.5 degrees above normal. The warmest highs were in the 90s. It was 91 in both 1983 and 1992. It was 90 in 2005. The record high of 99 was set in 1944. The warmest low was 73 in 1988. The record warmest low of 79 occurred in 1938.
Over the last 30 years, 17 highs were 80s. Three highs were in the warmer 90s. Ten highs were in the cooler: 60s (3) and 70s (7).

In looking back through the years to the first August at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 19
74 the high was 75 with a low of 72, a three degree spread. In 1971 the high was 93. In 1967 the high was 69 with a low of 53, a cool day. In 1966 the high was 67 with a low of 61, a six degree spread. In 1965 the high was 70 with a low of 50, a cool day. In 1960 the high was a cool 68.

More recently, there w
as a large spread of 30 degrees in 2002 (89/59). The small spreads were five degrees in 2006 (79/74), seven degrees in 1988 (80/73) and seven degrees in 2004 (67/60).

On the cool side, in 1982 the high was 68 with the record low of 49. In 1994 the high was 67 with a low of 56. Another cool high was 67 in 2004. The record coolest high of 66 was set way back in 1882. The official thermometer was located near Lake Michigan at the time. Over the last 30 years, 20 lows were in the 60s. Six lows were in the cooler: 40s (1) and 50s (5). Four lows were in the warmer 70s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight is at 5:25 and sunrise is at 5:56. Sunset is at 20:01 and twilight ends at 20:31. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:26 and sunrise is at 5:57. There's a total of 14 hours, 5 minutes of daylight today and 15 hours, 6 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 84% at midnight, will be 80% at noon and 76% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 10:36 this morning. Moonrise is at 21:45 tonight. Moonset is at 11:42 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 51 minutes which is 42 minutes longer than yesterday.

My tennis coach, Bob Finder, will be 77 in nine days. Steve Campbell and Christina, a sister of mine, celebrate their seventh anniversary in ten days. -Bernie-

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