March 14: ORD

Today is March 14th. It's the 73rd day of the year. 292 days remain. It's week 11 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 45 and the normal low is 28. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 47 and 28.

On the warm side, in 1990 the high was 69 with the record warmest low of 60. Five years later, in 1995, the high was the record high of 77 with a low of 43, a 34 degree spread. In 2002 the high was 63 with a low of 37. Other warm highs were 62 in 1989, 61 three years ago, 60 in 1996, 58 in 2000 and 57 two years ago. 28 of the last 31 highs were: 30s (8), 40s (8), 50s (7) and 60s (5). On the warmer side, one high was in the 70s. On the colder side, two highs were in the 20s.

In looking back through the years to the first March at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 38 with a low of 34, a four degree spread. In 1977 the high was 66 with a low of 46, a warm day. In 1973 the high was 70 with a low of 49, a warm day. In 1971 the high was 63 with a low of 50, a warm day. In 1967 the high was 37 with a low of 34, a three degree spread. In 1964 the high was a warm 59. In 1962 the high was a cold 29 with a low of 23, a six degree spread. In 1960 the high was 32 with a low of 10, a cold day.

More recently, we had other large spreads were 30 degrees in 1989 (62/32) and 32 degrees in 2003 (55/23).

On the cold side, in 1993 the high was 23 with the record low of 7. The record low of 7 also occurred way back in 1891. In 1988 the high was 28 with a low of 20. In 1979 the high was 32 with a low of 18. Other cold highs were 33 in 1997 and 1998. The record coldest high of 18 was set way back in 1895. 27 of the last 31 lows were: 20s (16) and 30s (11). Two lows were on the colder side: single digits (1) and 10s (a.k.a. teens) (1). On the warmer side, two lows were: 40s (1) and 60s (1). There haven't been any lows in the 50s in the last 31 years. The low was 50 in 1971.

Today is a not a major day in Chicago's snow history.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:39 and sunrise was at 7:07. Sunset is at 18:59 and twilight ends at 19:27. There's a total of 11 hours, 52 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 48 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:37 and sunrise is at 7:05. The moon is waning crescent and reaches new tomorrow at 19:01. Illumination was 3% at midnight, will be 1% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 6:18 this morning. Moonset is at 18:09. Moonrise is at 6:39 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 51 minutes which is 38 minutes longer than yesterday. Daylight Saving Time returned early this morning as 2:00 became 3:00.

St. Patrick's Day is in three days. -Bernie-