June 11: ORD

Today is June 11th. It's the 162nd day of the year. 203 days remain. It's week 24 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 57. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 78 and 56.

On the hot side, in 2005 the high was 88 with the only 70s low of 72. The only 90s highs were 90 in both 1983 and 1999. Another warm low of note was 69 in 2002. The record high of 97 was set in 1954. The record warmest low of 77 occurred in 1973. 23 of the last 31 highs were: 70s (9) and 80s (14). Two highs were in the hot 90s. Six highs were in the cooler: 50s (1) and 60s (5).

In looking back through the years to the first June at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1976 the high was a hot 93 with a low of 65, a hot day. In 1973 the high was 91 with a low of 71, a hot day and year of the record warmest low. In 1972 the high was 74 with a cold low of 36, a 38 degree spread and overall cool day. In 1970 the high was 87 with a low of 70, a hot day. In 1966 the high was 78 with a cold low of 41, a 37 degree spread. In 1963 the high was a cool 65. In 1961 the high was a hot 90 with a low of 56, a 34 degree spread. In 1959 the low was a warm 69 degrees.

More recently, the spreads were all large: 40 degrees in 1988 (87/47), 34 degrees in 1982 (77/43), 34 degrees in 1994 (85/51), 33 degrees in 1980 (74/41), 32 degrees in 1983 (90/58), 32 degrees in 1989 (76/44), 32 degrees in 1992 (83/51) and 30 degrees in 1990 (80/50).

On the cool side, in 1985 the only 50s high of 56 occurred with a low of 48. The other cool lows were the record low of 41 in 1980, 43 in 1982 and 44 in 1989. Last year and four years ago the highs were a cool 64. The record coolest high of 48 was set way back in 1903. 16 of the last 31 lows were 50s. Five lows were in the cooler 40s. Ten lows were in the warmer: 60s (9) and 70s (1).

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 20:30 and twilight ends at 21:04. There's a total of 15 hours, 13 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 22 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:42 and sunrise is at 5:16. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 2% at midnight, will be 1% at noon and 0% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 4:14 this morning. Moonset is at 20:07. Moonrise is at 5:11 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 53 minutes which is 19 minutes longer than yesterday.

Flag Day is in three days and Father's Day is in nine days. - Bernie -