April 19: ORD

Today is April 19th. It's the 109th day of the year. 256 days remain. It's week 16 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 59 and the normal low is 39. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 64 and 43.

On the warm side, in 1985 the high was the record high of 85 with the record warmest low of 65. The former record warmest low of 62 occurred in 1948. Two decades later, in 2005, the high was 81 with a low of 60. In 1992 the high was 71 with a low of 61. In 1987 the high was 78 with a low of 50. In 2006 the high was 74 with a low of 52. In 1996 the high was 73 with a low of 51. Other warm highs were 79 in 2003, 73 in 2004 and 72 in 1980. 12 of the last 31 highs were 50s. On the warmer side, 18 highs were: 60s (8), 70s (8) and 80s (2). On the colder side, one high was in the 40s.

In looking back through the years to the first April at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 72 with a low of 62, a warm day. In 1975 the high was 48 with a low of 41, a seven degree spread. 1973 the high was 69 with a low of 58, a warm day. In 1971 the high was a warm 73 with a low of 43, a 30 degree spread. In 1966 the high was 70 with a warm low of 54, a warm day. In 1964 the high was 45 with a low of 41, a four degree spread. In 1963 the high was a warm 72. In 1961 the high was 60 with a low of 30, a 30 degree spread. In 1959 the high was a cool 41 with a low of 35, a six degree spread.

More recently, we had large spreads of 38 degrees in 2003 (79/41), 35 degrees in 2001 (68/33) and 31 degrees 1979 (68/37).

On the cold side, in 1983 the high was 44 with the record low of 22. The record coldest high of 34 was set back in 1904. 16 of the last 31 lows were 40s. Nine lows were in the colder: 20s (2) and 30s (7). Six lows were in the warmer: 50s (3) and 60s (3).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 5:37 and sunrise was at 6:06. Sunset is at 19:39 and twilight ends at 20:09. There's a total of 13 hours, 33 minutes of daylight today and 14 hours, 32 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:35 and sunrise is at 6:05. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 23% at midnight, will be 28% at noon and 33% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 28 minutes past midnight. Moonrise was at 9:33 this morning. Moonset is at 1:18 early tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 55 minutes which is 33 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Earth Day is in three days and Arbor Day is in five days. - Bernie -