June 16: ORD

Today is June 16th. It's the 167th day of the year. 198 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 80 and the normal low is 57. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 80 and 58.

On the hot side, in 1994 the high was 95 with a low of 74. In 2006 the high was 90 with a low of 72. Another warm high of note was 93 three years ago in 2007. The other high in the 90s was 90 in 1987. Another warm low was 69 in 1979. The record high of 98 was set way back in 1913 and the record warmest low of 76 occurred in 1952. 24 of the last 31 highs were: 70s (11) and 80s (13). Four highs were in the warmer 90s. Three 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 1977 the high was a hot 92 with a low of 62, a 30 degree spread. In 1974 the high was a cool 61 with a low of 53, a cool day. In 1972 the high was a cool 60 with a low of 49, a cool day. In 1971 the high was 86 with a low of 56, a 30 degree spread. In 1965 the high was a cool 66 with a low of 49, a cool day. In 1964 the high was 65 with a low of 45, a cool day. In 1961 the high was 79 with a cool low of 41, a 38 degree spread.

More recently, three spreads were all large: 33 degrees in 1986 (86/53), 32 degrees in 1996 (88/56) and 31 degrees in 2001 (86/55).

On the cool side, in 1982 the high was 62 with a low of 45. Two years earlier, in 1980, the high was 64 with the record low of 44. Another cool high was 68 in 1999. The record coolest high of 54 occurred way back in 1879. 18 of the last 31 lows have been 50s. Two lows were in the cooler 40s. 11 lows were in the warmer: 60s (9) 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 5:16. Sunset is at 20:32 and twilight ends at 21:07. There's a total of 15 hours, 16 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 25 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:42 and sunrise is at 5:16. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 18% at midnight, will be 23% at noon and 28% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 10:03 this morning. Moonset is at 23:41. Moonrise is at 11:18 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 38 minutes which is 46 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Father's Day is in four days and Independence Day is in 18 days. - Bernie -