January 28: ORD

Today is January 28th. It's the 28th day of the year. 337 days remain. It's week 4 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 14. The 31-year averages are 31 and 16.

On the warm side, in 2006 the high was 49 with a low of 36. In 1989 the high was 49 with a low of 34. In 2002 the high was 47 with a low of 34. Four years before, in 1998, the high was 40 with a low of 31. Another warm high was 44 two years ago. Other warm lows were 31 in 1999, 29 in 1979 and 27 in 1992. The record high of 60 was set back in 1914 and record warmest low of 40 was set in 1968. 16 of the last 31 highs were 30s. On the warmer side, five highs were 40s. On the colder side, ten highs were: 20s (5), 10s (a.k.a. teens)(4), and single digits (1).

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 14 with a low of 2, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 20 with a low of -11, a 31 degree spread, year of the record low and cold day. In 1976 the high was 39 with a low of 3, a 36 degree spread. In 1975 the high was 40 with a low of 30, a warm day. In 1974 the high was 34 with a warm low of 27, a seven degree spread. In 1972 the high was 10 with a low of -8, a cold day. In 1971 the high was 11 with a low of -3, another cold day. In 1970 the high was 51 with a low of 35, a warm day. In 1969 the high was 39 with a warm low of 31, another warm day. In 1968 the high was 45 with a low of 38, a seven degree spread and year of the record warmest low. In 1966 the high was -4 with a low of -14, a cold day and year of the record coldest high. In 1965 the high was 26 with a low of -6, a 32 degree spread and cold day. In 1964 the low was a cold 1 degree. In 1963 the high was 8 with a low of -14, yet another cold day. In 1962 the high was 26 with a low of 20, a six degree spread. In 1961 the high was 21 with a cold low of 0, a cold day. In 1960 the high was 34 with a warm low of 29, a five degree spread.

More recently, there were small spreads of three degrees in both 1979 (32/29) and 1999 (34/31). The spread was six degrees in 1992 (33/27).

On the cold side, in 1997 the high was 9 with a low of -5. In 1980 the high was 11 with a low of 0. In 2004 the high was 11 with a low of 2. In 1986 the high was 18 with a low of 1. Other cold lows were 2 degrees in both 1985 and two decades later in 2005. Another cold high was 18 last year. The record low of -13 was set in 1977 and the record coldest high of -3 was set in 1966. 30 of the last 31 lows have been: single digits (10), 10s (a.k.a. teens)(6), 20s (9) and 30s (5). One low was in the colder negative single digits.

Today is not a major day in O'Hare's snow history! The next one is in two days when I'll be writing about two events.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:40 and sunrise is at 7:10. Sunset is at 17:03 and twilight ends at 17:33. Chicago's sunset/end of twilight times are 17:01 & 17:31. There's a total of 9 hours, 53 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 53 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:40 and sunrise is at 7:10. The moon is waxing gibbous, heading towards the full Wolf moon at 18 minutes past midnight tomorrow night. Illumination was 94% at midnight, will be 97% at noon and 98% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 5:53 and moonrise is at 15:19. Moonset is at 6:37 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 34 minutes which is 23 minutes shorter than yesterday.

National Freedom Day is in four days and Groundhog Day is in five days. -Bernie-