June 6: ORD

Today is June 6th. It's the 157th day of the year. 208 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 77 and the normal low is 55. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 78 and 55.

On the hot side, in 1999 the high was 91 with a low of 69. Two years ago the high was 87 with a low of 73. In 1984 the high was 89 with a low of 66. In 1988 the high was 91 with a low of 64. In 2005 the high was 89 with a low of 66. Other hot highs include 90 in both 1979 and 1994. The record high of 97 was set in 1971 and the record warmest low of 77 were set back in 1925. 20 of the past 31 highs were: 70s (8) and 80s (12). Four highs were in the hot 90s. Seven 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 1976 the high was 84 with a low of 53, a 31 degree spread. In 1971 the high was 92 with a low of 68, the year of the record high and a hot day. In 1968 the high was a hot 90 with a low of 66, a hot day. In 1963 the high was 90 with a low of 68, a hot day.

More recently, there was a large spread of 39 degrees in 1979 (90/51), 33 degrees in 1982 (73/40) and 33 degrees in 1992 (83/50).

On the cool side, in 1998 the high was 64 with a low of 43. In 1985 the high was 69 with the record (and only 30s) low of 39, a 30 degree spread. Other cool highs were 62 in 2001, 63 last year and 65 in 1986. Another cool low was 40 in 1982. The record coolest high of 50 was set way back in 1894. 15 of the last 31 lows were 50s. Seven lows were in the cooler: 30s (1) and 40s (6). Nine lows were in the warmer: 60s (8) and 70s (1).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 4:43 and sunrise was at 5:18. Sunset is at 20:27 and twilight ends at 21:01. There's a total of 15 hours, 9 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 18 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:43 and sunrise is at 5:17. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 38% at midnight, will be 33% at noon and 28% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 1:31 this morning. Moonset is at 14:37. Moonrise is at 1:54 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 6 minutes which is 40 minutes longer than yesterday.

Flag Day is in eight days. - Bernie -