April 8: ORD

Today is April 8th. It's the 98th day of the year. 267 days remain. It's week 14 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 55 and the normal low is 35. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 52 and 35.

On the warm side, in 1991 the high was 74 with a low of 50. A decade later, in 2001, the high was 77 with a low of 45, a 32 degree spread. Two decades earlier, in 1981, the high was 68 with a low of 46. Other warm lows were the record warmest low of 52 in 1993 and 47 in 1999. The old record warmest low of 51 occurred way back in 1875. The record high of 80 was set back in 1931. 26 of the last 31 highs were: 40s (10), 50s (9) and 60s (7). On the warmer side, two highs were 70s. On the colder side, three highs were 30s.

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 a cold 41. In 1974 the high was a cold 39. In 1973 the high was a cold 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. In 1972 the high was 35 with a low of 14, a cold day and year of the record low (see below). In 1971 the high was a warm 77 with a low of 41, a 36 degree spread and warm day. In 1970 the high was a warm 72 with a low of 45, a warm day. In 1969 the high was a warm 78 with a low of 46, a 32 degree spread and warm day. In 1968 the low was a warm 47. In 1965 the high was 46 with a low of 39, a seven degree spread. In 1964 the high was a cold 40. In 1961 the high was 42 with a low of 21, a cold day. In 1960 the high was a cold 41.

More recently, we had small spreads of five degrees two years ago (45/40), six degrees in 2002 (52/46) and seven degrees in 1993 (59/52). The large spreads were 30 degrees in 1988 (66/36) and in 1990 (61/31).

On the cold side, in 1997 the high was 33 with a low of 24. A year earlier, in 1996, the high was 40 with a low of 21. In 1982 the high was 35 with a low of 26. In 2003 the high was the record coldest high of 32 with a low of 31, a single degree spread. The record coldest high of 32 also occurred in 1914. The record low of 20 was set in 1972. In 1985 the high was 40 with a low of 25. Other cold highs were 40 three years ago, 41 in 2000 and 43 in 2006. 22 of the last 31 lows were: 20s (11) and 30s (11). Nine lows were in the warmer: 40s (7) and 50s (2).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1938, the city recorded 4.5 inches of snow. This was the last day of snow for April 1938, giving the month a total of 13.6 inches, the snowiest April in Chicago's history.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 5:55 and sunrise was at 6:24. Sunset is at 19:27 and twilight ends at 19:56. There's a total of 13 hours, 3 minutes of daylight today and 14 hours, 1 minute between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:54 and sunrise is at 6:22. The moon is waning crescent and reached last quarter two days ago at 4:37. Illumination was 33% at midnight, will be 29% at noon and 24% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 3:34 this morning. Moonset is at 13:59. Moonrise is at 3:59 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 25 minutes which is 34 minutes longer than yesterday.

National Tax Freedom Day is tomorrow. Illinois Tax Freedom Day is in three days. - Bernie -