January 2: ORD

Today is January 2nd. It's the 2nd day of the year. 363 days remain. It's week 1 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 30 and the normal low is 15. The 31-year averages are 34 and 20.

On the warm side, in 2004 the high was the record high of 61 with a low of 37. Four years before, in 2000, the high was the former record high of 60 with a low of 35. Before this, the record high was 58 in 1950. In 1997 the high was 53 with a low of 37. A year later, in 1998, the high was 50 with a low of 37. In 2005 the high was 54 with a low of 33. A year later, in 2006, the high was 42 with a low of 40, a two degree spread. In 1992 the high was 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. In 2007 the high was 43 with a low of 26. Other warm lows were 29 in 1987 and 28 (1980, 1994, 2003). The record warmest low of 47 was set way back in 1897. 20 of the last 31 highs were: 20s (7) and 30s (13). On the warmer side, three highs were 40s, three highs were 50s and two highs were 60s. On the colder side, two highs were 10s (aka teens) and one high was in the 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 13 with a low of -4, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 19 with a low of 2, a cold day. In 1974 the high was 15 with a low of 1, yet another cold day. In 1969 the high was 22 with a low of 0, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 20 with a low of 16, a four degree spread. In 1966 the high was 44 with a low of 27, a warm day. In 1965 the low was a warm 29 degrees. In 1963 the high was 31 with a low of 26, a five degree spread. In 1961 the high was 31 with a low of 24, a seven degree spread. In 1960 the high was 43 with a low of 31, a warm day.

More recently, we had small spreads of three degrees in 2003 (31/28), four degrees in 1994 (32/28), five degrees in 1980 (33/28) and seven degrees in 1987 (36/29).

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was the near-record coldest high of 4 with the near-record low of -13. The record low of -16 was set way back in 1879 and the record coldest high of 2 was set back in 1920. In 1985 the high was 14 with a low of -3. Two years ago the high was 20 with a low of 2. Another cold low was 2 in 1988. 28 of the last 31 lows were: single digits (5), 10s (9), 20s (8) and 30s (6). On the colder side, one low was in the negative 10s and one low was in the negative single digits. On the warmer side, one low was in the 40s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:22. Sunset is at 16:33 and twilight ends at 17:04. There's a total of 9 hours, 11 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 13 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:22. The moon is waning gibbous and was full two days ago at 13:13. Illumination was 97% at midnight, will be 94% at noon and 91% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 8:46 and moonrise is at 19:13. Moonset is at 9:19 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 33 minutes which is 42 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Today is a major snow day in O'Hare's history. Ten years ago, in 1999, 18.6 inches fell. This was the second day of a three day, 21.6 inch storm. This 18.6 inches was the most snow ever recorded in a calendar day in Chicago. This storm comprised 73% of the month's total of 29.6 inches.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is in two weeks, two days and my brother will be celebrating a birthday in three weeks, one day. -Bernie-