Tuesday, October 20, 2009

October 16: ORD

Today is October 16th. It's the 289th day of the year. 76 days remain. It's week 42 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 62 and the normal low is 42. I've calculated the 30-year averages at 63 and 43.


On the warm side, in 1998 the high was 80 with a low of 55. Four years earlier, in 1994, the high was 76 with a low of 57. Other warm highs were 75 in 1988 and 74 in 1980. Other warm lows were 57 in 1996 and 54 in 1979. The record high of 87 was set in 1963 and th
e record warmest low of 68 occurred way back in 1897. Over the last 30 years, 28 highs have been: 50s (11), 60s (10) and 70s (7). One high was in the warmer 80s and one high was in the cooler 40s.

In looking back through the years to the first October at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: in 1970 the low was a cool 30 degrees. In 1968 the high was 82 with a low of 65, a warm day. In 1965 the high was 80 with a low of 56, a warm day. In 1964 the high was a warm 76 with a low of 37, a 39 degree spread. In 1963 the high was 85 with a low of 56, a warm day. In 1962 the high was 73 with a low of 42, a 31 degree spread. In 1961 the high was 70 with a low of 40, a 30 degree spread.


More recently, there were
large spreads of 34 degrees in 1991 (62/28) and 31 degrees in 1983 (72/41). There were no small spreads of up to seven degrees.

On the cool side, in 1992 the high was 50 with a low of 29. The record low of 28 was set in 1991. Other cool highs were 47 in 2004 and 50 in 2002. The record coolest high of 44 occurred back in 1943. 28 of the last 30 lows were: 30s (10), 40s (10) and 50s (8). Two lows were in the cooler 20s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. No data available.

National Boss Day is today. United Nations Day is in eight days. Halloween is in 15 days. -Bernie-

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