February 23: ORD

Today is February 23rd. It's the 54th day of the year. 311 days remain. It's week 8 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. ORD has been the official site of record for Chicago since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 37 and the normal low is 22. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 39 and 24.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was the record high of 66 with the record low of 51. The old record high of 60 occurred in 1977 and the old record warmest low of 43 occurred in 1961. In 1984 the high was 59 with a low of 37. In 1996 the high was 54 with a low of 37. In 1985 the high was 50 with a low of 33. Other warm highs were 51 in 1995, 50 in 1998 and 49 in 1983. Another warm low was 37 in 2004. 20 of the last 31 highs were: 30s (12) and 40s (8). On the warmer side, five highs were 50s and one was a 60. On the colder side, five highs were 20s.

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 26 with a low of 19, a seven degree spread. In 1977 the high was 58 with a low of 39, a warm day. In 1975 the high was 37 with a low of 33, a four degree spread. In 1974 the high was a cold 22 with a low of 11, a cold day. In 1971 the high was 35 with a low of 31, a four degree spread. In 1969 the high was 40 with a low of 35, a five degree spread. In 1968 the high was 37 with a low of 7, a 30 degree spread. In 1967 the high was 23 with a low of 6, a cold day. In 1966 the high was 32 with a low of 25, a seven degree spread. In 1965 the high was 22 with a low of 10, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 22 with a low of 4, another cold one! In 1962 the high was 26 with a cold low of 8, a cold day. In 1961 the high was 50 with a low of 38, a warm day.

More recently, we had a spread of five degrees in 1981 as the high was 38 with a low of 33.

On the cold side, in 1993 the high was 20 with a low of 2. In 1989 the high was 23 with a low of 4. Last year the high was 27 with a low of 9. The record low of -18 was set way back in 1873 and the record coldest high of -2 was set way back in 1889. 21 of the last 31 lows have been: 20s (11) and 30s (10). Nine lows were in the colder: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (6) and single digits (3). One low was in the warmer 50s (the record warmest low).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1994, 5.1 inches fell. This was the second day of a four day stretch in which 16.1 inches fell. In 1965, 1.8 inches fell. This was the first of three days in which 10.0 inches fell.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:10 and sunrise was at 6:38. Sunset is at 17:36 and twilight ends at 18:04. There's a total of 10 hours, 58 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 54 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:08 and sunrise is at 6:36. The moon is waxing gibbous. Illumination was 63% at midnight, will be 69% at noon and 74% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 2:45. Moonrise is at 11:43. Moonset is at 3:40 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 2 minutes which is 2 minutes longer than yesterday and is the longest time for the next several days.

My birthday is in 12 days and a sister of mine, Christina, celebrates a birthday in 15 days. -Bernie-