June 28: ORD

Today is June 28th. It's the 179th day of the year. 186 days remain. It's week 26 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 82 and the normal low is 60. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 83 and 61.

On the hot side, in 2005 the high was 94 with a low of 76. The only other 90s high of the past 30 years was 92 in 1996. The only other 70s low was 70 in 1991. The record high of 101 was set in 1971. The record warmest low of 81 occurred back in 1913. 20 of the past 31 highs were 80s. Two highs were in the warmer 90s. Nine highs were in the cooler: 60s (1) and 70s (8). The lone 60s high was 69. It occurred on the coolest day of the past 30 years in 2000.

In looking back through the years to the first June at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1973 the high was a cool 70. In 1971 the high was 97 with a low of 75, a hot day and year of the record high (101 at Midway). In 1962 the high was 90 with a low of 57, a 33 degree spread. In 1959 the high was 88 with a warm low of 78, a hot day.

More recently, there was a small spread of seven degrees in 1983 (70/63). The other spreads were large: 38 degrees in 1992 (82/44), 30 degrees in 1996 (92/62) and 30 degrees in 1988 (88/58).

On the cool side, no means were 11.5 degrees or lower below normal. The only cold low was 44, the record low (and only 40s low), which was set in 1992. The coolest highs were 69 in 2000 and 70 in 1983. The record coolest high of 58 was set way back in 1902. 19 of the last 31 lows were in the 60s. Ten lows were in the cooler 40s (1) and 50s (9). Two were in the warmer 70s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 4:45 and sunrise was at 5:19. Sunset is at 20:34 and twilight ends at 21:08. There's a total of 15 hours, 15 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 23 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:45 and sunrise is at 5:20. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 97% at midnight, will be 95% at noon and 93% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 7:22 this morning. Moonrise is at 22:03 and moonset is at 8:24 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 19 minutes which is 33 minutes longer than yesterday.

Independence Day is in six days. - Bernie -