June 10: ORD

Today is June 10th. It's the 161st day of the year. 204 days remain. It's week 23 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 78 and the normal low is 56. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 78 and 56.

On the hot side, in 2000 the high was 88 with a low of 72. Two years later, in 2002, the high was 88 with a low of 71. Three years prior, in 1999, the high was 90 with a low of 67. The record high of 98 was set back in 1911. The record warmest low of 74 occurred back in 1933. 25 of the last 31 highs were: 70s (12) and 80s (13). One high was in the hot 90s. Five highs were in the cooler: 50s (1) and 60s (4).

In looking back through the years to the first June at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 82 with a low of 45, a 37 degree spread. In 1977 the high was 77 with a low of 44, a 33 degree spread. In 1974 the high was a cool 66. In 1973 the high was a hot 90. In 1972 the high was 57 with a low of 40, a cool day. In 1968 the high was 92 with a low of 70, a hot day. In 1966 the high was 65 with a low of 44, a cool day. In 1961 the high was 89 with a low of 58, a 31 degree spread. In 1959 the low was a warm 72.

More recently, the spreads were all large: 37 degrees in 1994 (80/43), 34 degrees in 1987 (78/44), 31 degrees in 1995 (83/52), 30 degrees in 1992 (79/49) and 30 degrees in 1997 (82/52).

On the cool side, in 1980 the high was 57 with the record low of 42. The other cool lows were 43 in 1994, 44 in 1987 and 44 in 1988. The other cool high was 63 in 2006. The record coolest high of 54 was set way back in 1883. 18 of the last 30 lows were 50s. Five lows were in the cooler 40s. Eight lows were in the warmer: 60s (6) and 70s (2).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 4:42 and sunrise was at 5:17. Sunset is at 20:29 and twilight ends at 21:04. There's a total of 15 hours, 12 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 22 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:42 and sunrise is at 5:17. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 6% at midnight, will be 4% at noon and 2% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 3:28 this morning. Moonset is at 19:02. Moonrise is at 4:14 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 34 minutes which is 31 minutes longer than yesterday.

Flag Day is in four days and Father's Day is in ten days. - Bernie -