March 18: ORD

Today is March 18th. It's the 77th day of the year. 288 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 47 and the normal low is 29. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 45 and 29.

On the warm side, in 1979 the high was 70 with a low of 43. In 1995 the high was 66 with a low of 34, a 32 degree spread. Last year the high was 57 with a low of 42. Another warm high was 59 in 1986. The record high of 74 was set in 1969. The record warmest low of 59 was set way back in 1894. 18 of the last 31 highs were 40s. On the warmer side, six highs were: 50s (4), 60s (1) and 70s (1). On the colder side, seven highs were: 30s (6) and 20s (1).

In looking back through the years to the first March at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1976 the high was a warm 69 with a low of 34, a 35 degree spread and warm day. In 1975 the high was 59 with a low of 43, a warm day. In 1971 the high was 39 with a low of 34, a five degree spread. In 1969 the high was a warm 74 with a low of 38, a 36 degree spread, year of the record high and warm day. That high of 74 is also the record high, although that was set at Midway. In 1968 the high was a warm 65 with a low of 40, a warm day. In 1967 the high was 33 with a low of 11, a cold day. In 1966 the high was 61 with a low of 43, a warm day. In 1965 the high was 24 with a low of 10, a cold day. In 1964 the high was 37 with a cold low of 9, another cold day. In 1961 the high was a cold 34. In 1960 the high was 31 with a low of 17, yet another cold day. In 1959 the low was a cold 17 degrees.

More recently, we had small spreads of four degrees in 1984 (31/27), five degrees in 1983 (40/35), six degrees in 1987 (42/36), six degrees two years ago (42/36), seven degrees in 1992 (36/29) and seven degrees in 2003 (44/37).

On the cold side, in 1993 the high was 31 with a low of 14. Four years before, in 1989, the high was 29 with a low of 17. In 1981 the high was 35 with a low of 15. Another cold high was 31 in 1984. The record low of 3 was set back in 1923. The record coldest high of 20 was set way back in 1875. 25 of the last 31 lows were: 20s (14) and 30s (11). Four lows were in the colder 10s (a.k.a. teens). Two lows were in the warmer 40s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:32 and sunrise was at 7:00. Sunset is at 19:03 and twilight ends at 19:31. There's a total of 12 hours, 3 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 59 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:30 and sunrise is at 6:58. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 6% at midnight, will be 8% at noon and 11% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 7:49 this morning. Moonset is at 22:22. Moonrise is at 8:19 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 33 minutes which is 40 minutes longer than yesterday.

My brother and his wife celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary tomorrow. -Bernie-