June 5: ORD

Today is June 5th. It's the 156th day of the year. 209 days remain. It's week 23 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 76 and the normal low is 54. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 75 and 51.

On the hot side, in 2005 the high was 87 with a low of 68. In 1984 the high was 88 with a low of 66. Other hot highs include 89 in both 1988 and 1999. The record high of 97 occurred in 1971 and the record warmest low of 77 was set back in 1925. 23 of the past 31 highs were: 70s (12) and 80s (11). Eight highs were in the cooler: 50s (2) and 60s (6).

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 87 with a warm low of 66, a hot day. In 1974 the high was 73 with a warm low of 66, a mere seven degree spread. In 1971 the high was 92 with a low of 68, a hot day and year of the record high. In 1966 the high was 86 with a low of 68, a hot day. In 1963 the high was 87 with a warm low of 66, a hot day. In 1961 the high was 86 with a low of 50, a 36 degree spread.

More recently, there were large spreads of 35 degrees last year (79/44), 35 degrees in 1994 (87/52), 34 degrees in 1987 (87/53), 33 degrees in 2004 (77/44), 33 degrees in 2006 (81/48), 32 degrees in 1988 (89/57), 31 degrees in 2003 (78/47) and 31 degrees in 1981 (86/55).

On the cool side, in 1998 the high was 58 with a low of 42. In 2001 the high was 58 with a low of 47. In 1990 the high was 63 with a low of 42. Other cool highs were 61 in 1986, 63 in 2000 and 64 three years ago. The record low of 37 occurred in 1945 and the record coolest high of 45 was set way back in 1894. 27 of the last 31 lows were: 40s (15) and 50s (12). Four lows were in the warmer 60s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 4:44 and sunrise was at 5:18. Sunset is at 20:26 and twilight ends at 21:00. There's a total of 15 hours, 8 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 16 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:43 and sunrise is at 5:18. The moon reached last quarter yesterday at 17:13 and is waning crescent. Illumination was 47% at midnight, will be 42% at noon and 38% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 1:10 this morning. Moonset is at 13:36. Moonrise is at 1:31 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 26 minutes which is 38 minutes longer than yesterday.

Flag Day is in nine days. - Bernie -