February 12: ORD

Today is February 12th. It's the 43rd day of the year. 322 days remain. It's week 7 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 34 and the normal low is 18. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 31 and 16.

On the warm side, in 1984 the high was the record high of 62 with a low of 45. In 2005 the high was 51 with a low of 33. Fifteen years earlier, in 1990, the high was 54 with a low of 23. Other warm lows were 31 in 1998 and 30 last year. The record warmest low of 50 was set way back in 1882. 22 of the last 31 highs were: 20s (9) and 30s (13). On the warmer side, five highs were: 40s (2), 50s (2) and 60s (1). On the colder side, four highs were 10s (a.k.a. teens).

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 45 with a warm low of 36, a warm day. In 1976 the high was 56 with a low of 38, a warm day. In 1974 the high was a warm 47 with a low of 28, another warm day. In 1972 the low was a warm 30 degrees. In 1970 and 1968, the highs were a cold 22 degrees. In 1967 the high was 20 with a low of -17, a 37 degree spread and cold day. In 1966 the high was a warm 48 degrees. In 1963 the high was 22 with a low of -9, a 31 degree spread and cold day. In 1962 the high was 35 with a low of 31, a four degree spread. In 1960 the high was 19 with a low of 6, a cold day.

More recently, there were small spreads of three degrees in 1979 (22/19), four degrees in 1993 (31/27), six degrees three years ago (31/25) and seven degrees in 2006 (30/23).

On the cold side, in 1981 the high was 12 with a low of -11. Five years later, in 1986, the high was 11 with a low of -4. In 1995 the high was 16 with a low of -2. In 1988 the high was 17 with a low of -1. Fifteen years later, in 2003, the high was 21 with a low of 4. In 1980 the high was 23 with a low of 4. Other cold highs were 22 in both 1979 and 2008. The record low of -17 and record coldest high of 3 were set on the same day way back in 1899. 20 of the last 31 lows have been: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (13) and 20s (7). Even colder, seven lows have been: negative 10s (1), negative single digits (3) and single digits (3). On the warmer side, three lows were 30s and one was a 40 (the warmest low we've seen at 45 in 1984).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 2007, 1.4 inches fell. This was the first day of a three day, 11.6 inch storm.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:25 and sunrise is at 6:54. Sunset is at 17:22 and twilight ends at 17:51. Chicago's sunset is at 17:20 and twilight lasts until 17:49. There's a total of 10 hours, 28 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 26 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:23 and sunrise is at 6:52. The moon is waning crescent, heading towards new tomorrow at 20:51. Illumination was 3% at midnight, will be 2% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 6:03. Moonset is at 16:15. Moonrise is at 6:28 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 12 minutes which is 33 minutes longer than yesterday.

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday is today. Valentine's Day is in two days. The Daytona 500 is in two days. Susan B. Anthony Day is in three days. President's Day is in four days. -Bernie-