June 13: ORD

Today is June 13th. It's the 164th day of the year. 201 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 79 and the normal low is 57. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 82 and 59.

On the hot side, in 1990 the high was 92 with the only 70s low of 71. In 2001 the high was 91 with a low of 68. In 1988 we had a near-record high of 94 (record is 95, set in 1956). The high was 92 in 1987. Highs were 91 in both 1992 and 1994. As you can see, five of the six 90s highs occurred between 1987 and 1994. Another warm low was 69 in 1984. The record warmest low of 74 occurred back in 1920. 23 of the last 31 highs were in the: 70s (10) and 80s (13). Six highs were in the hot 90s and two were in the cooler 60s, most recently last year's 68.

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 67 with a low of 42, a cool day. In 1969 the high was a cool 64. In 1968 the high was 76 with a cool low of 43, a 33 degree spread. In 1965 the high was 65 with a low of 46, a cool day. In 1964 the high was a hot 91. In 1963 the high was 80 with a low of 49, a 31 degree spread. In 1962 the low was a cold 44. In 1960 the high was a cool 63 with a low of 56, a seven degree spread. In 1959 the high was a cool 67.

More recently, all the spreads were all large: 36 degrees in 1992 (91/55), 34 degrees in 1995 (85/51), 31 degrees in 1982 (78/47), 31 degrees in 1988 (94/63) and 30 degrees in 1987 (92/62).

On the cool side, in 1985 the high was 71 with the record low of 40, a 31 degree spread. In 2002 the high was 64 (the only 60s high and just two degrees above the record coolest high of 62 set in 1857). 27 of the last 31 lows have been 50s (11) and 60s (16). Three lows were in the cooler 40s and one was in the warmer 70s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 4:42 and sunrise was at 5:16. Sunset is at 20:31 and twilight ends at 21:05. There's a total of 15 hours, 15 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 23 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:42 and sunrise is at 5:16. The moon reached new yesterday at 6:15 and is waxing crescent. Illumination was 1% at midnight, will be 2% at noon and 4% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 6:17 this morning. Moonset is at 21:55. Moonrise is at 7:31 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 38 minutes which is 17 minutes shorter than yesterday. This is near the maximum for moonlight, happening at a time when we can't see it!

Flag Day is tomorrow and Father's Day is in a week. - Bernie -