June 14: ORD

Today is June 14th. It's the 165th day of the year. 200 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 60.

On the hot side, in 1987 the high was the record high of 99 with a low of 68, a 31 degree spread. In 1988 the high was 94 with a low of 71. In 1981 the high was 88 with the record warmest low of 75. In 1991 the high was 93 with a low of 69. Three years later, in 1994, the high was 94 with a low of 66. In 2001 the high was 91 with a low of 68. Highs were 91 in both 1983 and 1992. The high was 90 in 1995. 27 of the last 31 highs were: 70s (8), 80s (11) and 90s (8). Four highs were in the cooler 60s.

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 a cool 67. In 1967 the high was 89 with a warm low of 70, a hot day. In 1963 the high was a cool 67. In 1962 the high was 77 with a low of 47, a 30 degree spread. In 1961 the high was a cool 65. In 1960 the high was a cool 60 with a low of 54, a six degree spread.

More recently, both spreads were all large: 31 degrees in 1983 (91/60) and 31 degrees in 1995 (90/59).

On the cool side, in 1997 the high was 68 with the record low of 45 (the former record low of 47 occurred in 1985). Other cool highs were 65 in 1986 and 67 in 2002. The record coolest high of 58 was set way back in 1875. 27 of the last 31 lows have been: 50s (13) and 60s (14). Two lows were in the cooler 40s and two lows were 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 21:06. There's a total of 15 hours, 15 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 24 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:42 and sunrise is at 5:16. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 4% at midnight, will be 7% at noon and 10% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 7:31 this morning. Moonset is at 22:37. Moonrise is at 8:47 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 6 minutes which is 32 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Flag Day is today and Father's Day is in six days. - Bernie -