February 7: ORD

Today is February 7th. It's the 38th day of the year. 327 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. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 31 and 17.

On the warm side, last year the high was 56 with a low of 36. In 1987 the high was 51 with a low of 31. In 2005 the high was 45 with a low of 33. In 1996 the high was 44 with a low of 32. Six years earlier, in 1990, the high was 42 with a low of 33. The record high of 59 was set back in 1925 and the record warmest low of 39 was set in 1965. 20 of the last 31 highs were: 20s (11) and 30s (9). On the warmer side, seven highs were: 40s (5) and 50s (2). 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 17 with a low of -10, a cold day. In 1975 the high was 26 with a cold low of -1, a cold day. In 1972 the high was 7 with a low of -12, a cold day. In 1970 the high was 37 with a warm low of 31, a six degree spread. In 1969 the high was 35 with a warm low of 30, a five degree spread. In 1968 the high was 30 with a low of 25, another five degree spread. In 1967 the high was 21 with a cold low of -2, another cold day. In 1965 the high was 48 with a low of 35, a warm day and year of the record warmest low. In 1962 the high was 21 with a cold low of -2, a cold day. In 1960 the high was 30 with a low of 26, a four degree spread.

More recently, there were small spreads of three degrees two years ago (27/24), six degrees in 1986 (29/23) and seven degrees in 1997 (29/22).

On the cold side, three years ago the high was 11 with a low of -2. In 1985 the high was 19 with a low of -2. In 1979 the high was 20 with a low of -3. In 1994 the high was 17 with a low of 6. Five years before that, in 1989, the high was 21 with a low of 2. Five years before that, in 1984, the high was 22 with a low of 1. A couple of years before that, in 1982, the high was 21 with a low of 2. In 2003 the high was 18 with a low of 8. Another cold high was 20 in 1995. 23 of the last 31 lows have been: single digits (8), 10s (a.k.a. teens) (6) and 20s (9). Even colder, three lows have been in the negative single digits. On the warmer side, five lows were in the 30s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:31 and sunrise was at 7:00. Sunset is at 17:16 and twilight ends at 17:45. There's a total of 10 hours, 16 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 14 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:29 and sunrise is at 6:59. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 37% at midnight, will be 33% at noon and 28% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 2:30. Moonset is at 11:27. Moonrise is at 3:28 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 8 hours, 57 minutes which is 20 minutes shorter than yesterday.

The Super Bowl is today. Abraham Lincoln's Birthday is in five days. Valentine's Day is in a week. The Daytona 500 is in a week. Susan B. Anthony Day is in eight days. President's Day is in nine days. -Bernie-