January 11: ORD

Today is January 11th. It's the 11th day of the year. 354 days remain. It's week 2 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 29 and the normal low is 14. The 31-year averages are 31 and 17.

On the warm side, three years ago the high was 45 with a low of 35. A year earlier, in 2006, the high was 42 with a low of 37. In 2002 the high was 43 with a low of 33. In 1990 the high was 42 with a low of 32. Two years later, in 1992, the high was 45 with a low of 25. A dozen years before, in 1980, the high was 54 with a low of 15. In 1989 the high was 44 with a low of 25. Other warm lows were 30 in 2005, 29 in 2000, 28 in 2008, 27 in 2004 and 26 in 1991. The record high of 61 was set way back in 1880 and the record warmest low of 40 was set way back in 1890. 25 of the last 31 highs were: 20s (7), 30s (10) and 40s (8). On the warmer side, one highs was in the 50s (54 in 1980). On the colder side, three highs were 10s and two highs were single digits.

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 18 with a cold low of -6, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 5 with a low of -11, a cold day. 1977 was the year of the record low (also -11 at Midway). In 1975 the high was a warm 45 with a low of 6, a 39 degree spread. In 1969 the high was 13 with a low of -4, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 26 with a low of 20, a six degree spread. In 1963 the high was 30 with a low of 26, a four degree spread. In 1962 the high was 8 with a low of -13, another cold day. In 1961 the high was a warm 46 with a low of 23, a warm day. In 1960 the high was 37 with a low of 30, a seven degree spread and warm day.

More recently, we had five days of small spreads. One was four degrees: 28/24 in 1996. Three others were six degrees: 32/26 in 1991, 29/23 in 1993 and 36/30 in 2005. The most recent was last year at seven degrees: 20/13.

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was 13 with a low -16. The official record low of -11 was set in 1977 because the low at Midway in 1979 was just a degree short at -10. Other area temperatures in 1979 were: -24 at Rockford, -20 at Aurora, -26 at Barrington, -22 at DeKalb, -18 at Elgin, -29 at Marengo (just west of Crystal Lake) and -25 at Wheaton. In 1982 the high was the record coldest high of 4 with a low of -4. Fifteen years later, in 1997, the high was 6 with a low of -4. Two years after that, in 1999, the high was 13 with a low of -3. In 1981 the high was 14 with a low of -2. Three years later, in 1984, the high was 21 with a low of -2. 13 of the last 31 lows were 20s. 13 lows were colder: negative 10s (1), negative single digits (5), single digits (3) and tens (4). Five lows were in the warmer 30s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:21. Sunset is at 16:42 and twilight ends at 17:13. There's a total of 9 hours, 21 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 23 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:21. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 15% at midnight, will be 11% at noon and 8% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 4:37 and moonset is at 13:29. Moonlight time is 8 hours, 52 minutes, 17 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Today is a major day in O'Hare's snow history. In 1979, 0.2 inches fell. This was the first day of a 21.7 inch, seven day storm.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is in a week. My brother will be celebrating a birthday in 13 days. -Bernie-