April 22: ORD

Today is April 22nd. It's the 112th day of the year. 253 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 61 and the normal low is 40. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 61 and 41.

On the warm side, in 1980 the high was the record high of 91 with a low of 58, a 33 degree spread. Five years later, in 1985, the high was 83 with the record warmest low of 66. Three years ago the high was 83 with a low of 52, a 31 degree spread. Six years before that, in 2001, the high was 78 with a low of 51. Other warm highs were 74 two years ago and 73 in 1990. 20 of the last 31 highs were: 50s (9) and 60s (11). On the warmer side, six highs were: 70s (3), 80s (2) and 90s (1). On the colder side, five highs were 40s.

In looking back through the years to the first April at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 59 with a cold low of 28, a 31 degree spread. In 1977 the high was 52 with a low of 47, a five degree spread. In 1976 the high was a warm 73. In 1972 the high was a cold 47. In 1970 the high was 72 with a low of 40, a 32 degree spread. In 1968 the high was a warm 73. In 1963 the high was a cold 47. In 1962 the high was a warm 73. In 1960 the high was 85 with a low of 57, a warm day. In 1959 the high was 63 with a low of 30, a 33 degree spread.

More recently, we had small spreads of six degrees in 1987 (50/44) and seven degrees in 1999 (51/44). The large spreads were 36 degrees in 1990 (73/37), 34 degrees in 2000 (65/31) and 31 degrees in 1991 (63/32).

On the cold side, in 1986 the high was 47 with the record low of 24. Two years earlier, in 1984, the high was 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. In 2002 the high was 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. Other cold highs were 46 in 2005 and 49 in 1992. The record coldest high of 38 was set back in 1936. 25 of the last 31 lows were: 30s (14) and 40s (11). One low was in the colder 20s. Five lows were in the warmer: 50s (4) and 60s (1).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 5:32 and sunrise was at 6:02. Sunset is at 19:43 and twilight ends at 20:12. There's a total of 13 hours, 41 minutes of daylight today and 14 hours, 40 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:30 and sunrise is at 6:00. The moon reached first quarter yesterday at 13:20 and is waxing gibbous. Illumination was 56% at midnight, will be 61% at noon and 67% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 2:36 this morning. Moonrise is at 13:09. Moonset is at 3:07 early tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 27 minutes which is 39 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Earth Day is today and Arbor Day is in two days. - Bernie -