March 3: ORD

Today is March 3rd. It's the 62nd day of the year. 303 days remain. It's week 9 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 41 and the normal low is 24. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 38 and 22.

On the warm side, in 1983 the high was 73 with a low of 37, a 36 degree spread. Another warm high was 56 two years ago. Other warm lows were 38 in 2004 and 36 in 1992. The record high of 80 was set in 1974 and the record warmest low of 48 was set way back in 1880. 16 of the last 31 highs were 30s. On the warmer side, 11 highs were: 40s (9), 50s (1) and 70s (1). Remarkably, there have been no highs in the 60s at O'Hare on this date ever. On the colder side, four highs have been 20s.

In looking back through the years to the first March at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In1978 the high was a cold 22 with a low of 14, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 46 with a warm low of 39, a seven degree spread. In 1974 the high was 76 with a low of 42, a 34 degree spread, a warm day and also the day of the record high. In 1973 the high was 55 with a low of 46, a warm day. In 1971 the high was a cool 29 degrees. In 1970 the high was 55 with a low of 40, a warm day. In 1968 the high was 46 with a low of 10, a 36 degree spread. In 1966 the high was 58 with a low of 44, a warm day. In 1964 the low was a warm 38 degrees. In 1961 the high was a warm 57 degrees. In 1960 the high was 23 with a low of 8, a cold day.

More recently, we had small spreads of four degrees in 1992 (40/36), seven degrees on three days: 1985 (36/29), 1998 (37/30) and three years ago (27/20). There was one large spread of 32 degrees two years ago (56/24).

On the cold side, in 2002 the high was 21 with a low of 0. In 1996 the high was 25 with a low of 1. In 2003 the high was 31 with a low of 8. In 1980 the high was 35 with a low of 8. Another cold low was 12 in 1995. Other cold highs were 27 in 1982 and 27 three years ago. The record low of -6 and the record coldest high of 8 were set on the same day way back in 1873. 14 of the last 31 lows have been 20s. 11 lows were in the colder: single digits (4) and 10s (a.k.a. teens) (7). Six lows were in the warmer 30s.

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 2002, 0.8 inches fell. This was the third of four days in which a total of 10.2 inches fell. This comprised 91% of the month's total of 11.2 inches. In 1982, 0.1 inches fell. This was the second of three days in which 12.1 inches fell.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 5:57 and sunrise was at 6:25. Sunset is at 17:46 and twilight ends at 18:14. There's a total of 11 hours, 21 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 17 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:56 and sunrise is at 6:24. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 91% at midnight, will be 87% at noon and 83% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 7:33. Moonrise is at 21:58. Moonset is at 8:05 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 35 minutes which is 46 minutes shorter than yesterday.

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