February 5: ORD

Today is February 5th. It's the 36th day of the year. 329 days remain. It's week 6 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 32 and the normal low is 17. The 31-year averages are 29 and 14.

On the warm side, in 2005 the high was 55 with a low of 36. In 1990 the high was 51 with a low of 30. A year later, in 1991, the high was 50 with a low of 27. A couple of years later, in 1993, the high was 49 with a low of 23. Two years ago the high was 40 with a low of 32. Other warm lows were 31 in 1986 and 29 in 1998. The record high of 56 was set back in 1946 and the record warmest low of 43 was set back in 1938. 18 of the last 31 highs were 20s (11) and 30s (7). On the warmer side, four highs were 40s and three were 50s. On the colder side, three highs were 10s (a.k.a. teens) and three were single digits.

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: in 1978 the low was a cold 5 above zero. In 1977 the high was 12 with a low of -3, a cold day. In 1975 the high was 35 with a warm low of 29, a six degree spread. In 1974 the high was 25 with a low of 22, a three degree spread. In 1973 the high was 38 with a warm low of 36, a two degree spread and warm day. In 1972 the high was 23 with a cold low of -2, a cold day. In 1971 the high was a warm 46. In 1968 the high was a warm 47. In 1966 the high was 24 with a cold low of -1, a cold day. In 1964 the high was a warm 55 with a low of 28, a warm day. In 1963 the high was 42 with a low of 12, a 30 degree spread. In 1962 the high was 37 with a cold low of 5 above, a 32 degree spread. In 1960 the high was 39 with a warm low of 33, a six degree spread. In 1959 the high was 18 with a low of 3, a cold day.

More recently, there were small spreads of four degrees in 2004 (28/24), five degrees in 1986 (36/31), five degrees in 1997 (33/28), six degrees in 1998 (35/29) and six degrees in 2001 (32/26).

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was 3 with a low of -14. Three years ago the high was 5 with a low of -10. In 1988 the high was 9 with a low of -1. Six years prior, in 1982, the high was 15 with a low of 1. In 1995 the high was 14 with a low of 3. Six years prior, in 1989, the high was 17 with a low of 1. Last year the high was 25 with a low of -4. In 1996 the high was 22 with a low of 2. Other cold lows were 4 in 1985 and 1 in 1981. The record low of -17 was set in 1979 (at Midway) and the record coldest high of 0 was set back in 1936. 23 of the last 31 lows have been: single digits (8), 10s (a.k.a. teens) (6) and 20s (9). Even colder, two lows were in the negative single digits and two lows were negative 10s (a.k.a. negative teens). On the warmer side, four lows were in the 30s. Through Winter 2009-10, this is the average ninth coldest day of the year.

Today is not a major day in Chicago's snow history. In fact, I'll be writing about a snow event that took place in Rockford tomorrow. On the temperature front, the National Weather Service/Chicago reports that January 2009 was just the tenth January (in 137 years of record-keeping) that no temperature reached 40 degrees. The last time this happened was in 1985. This also occurred in 1982, 1979, 1977, 1976, 1920, 1918, 1912 and 1904. January 1977 was a bit worse, since the temperatures that year never got to the freezing mark (32 degrees).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:33 and sunrise was at 7:02. Sunset is at 17:13 and twilight ends at 17:42. Chicago's sunset/end of twilight times are 17:11 and 17:40. There's a total of 10 hours, 11 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 9 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:32 and sunrise is at 7:01. The moon reaches last quarter today at 17:48. Illumination was 58% at midnight, will be 53% at noon and 47% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 18 minutes past midnight (0:18). Moonset was at 10:07. Moonrise is at 1:27 early tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 49 minutes which is 15 minutes longer than yesterday.

The Super Bowl is in two days. Abraham Lincoln's Birthday is in a week. Valentine's Day is in nine days. Susan B. Anthony Day is in ten days. President's Day is in 11 days. -Bernie-