May 13: ORD

Today is May 13th. It's the 133rd day of the year. 232 days remain. It's week 19 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 69 and the normal low is 46. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 68 and 47.

On the warm side, in 1991 the high was the record of 89 degrees which tied the record set in 1956. The low was 64 in 1991. In 2004 the high was 78 with a low of 65. The only other 80s high was 86 in 1982. The only other 60s low was 61 in 1983. The record warmest low of 72 occurred in 1956. 29 of the last 31 highs were in the: 50s (7), 60s (10) and 70s (12). On the warmer side, two highs were in the 40s.

In looking back through the years to the first May at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was a warm 82 with a low of 57, a warm day. In 1975 the high was 73 with a low of 37, a 36 degree spread. In 1973 the high was a cool 57. In 1971 the high was 73 with a low of 37, a 36 degree spread. In 1968 the high was 77 with a low of 43, a 34 degree spread. In 1966 the high was a cold 44 with a low of 40, a four degree spread and cold day. In 1964 the high was a cold 51 with a low of 40, a cool day. In 1962 the high was a warm 84 with a low of 57, a warm day. In 1961 the high was 86 with a low of 61, a hot day.

More recently, we had a small spread of five degrees in 1999 (53/48). The large spreads were: 38 degrees in 1987 (78/40), 35 degrees in 1982 (86/51), 33 degrees two years ago (73/40), 32 degrees in 1984 (72/40) and 31 degrees in 2001 (68/37).

On the cool side, in 1996 the high was 56 with the record low of 34. The record low also occurred way back in 1888. A decade later, in 2006, the high was 50 with a low of 42. The other 30s lows were 37 in 2001 and 39 in 1997. The other cool highs were 53 in 1999, 55 in 1997, 56 in 2002 and 57 in 1993. Just outside the cool zone, the high was 59 in 1989. The record coldest high of 41 was set way back in 1883. 21 of the last 31 lows were 40s. Three lows were in the colder 30s. Seven lows were in the warmer: 50s (4) and 60s (3).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 5:02 and sunrise was at 5:34. Sunset is at 20:06 and twilight ends at 20:38. There's a total of 14 hours, 32 minutes of daylight today and 15 hours, 36 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:01 and sunrise is at 5:33. The moon is waning and reaches new today at 20:04. Illumination was 1% at midnight, will be 0% at noon and 0% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 4:55 this morning. Moonset is at 20:13. Moonrise is at 5:35 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 18 minutes which is 35 minutes longer than yesterday. Too bad there's so little of it to see!

Armed Forces Day is in two days. A sister of mine, Maria, celebrates a birthday in three days. - Bernie -