July 5: ORD

Today is July 5th. It's the 186th day of the year. 179 days remain. It's week 27 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 83 and the normal low is 62. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 84 and 62.

On the hot side, in 1999 the high was 94 with a low of 79. Five years prior, in 1994, the high was 95 with a low of 77. The other 90s highs were 98 in 1988, 95 in 1982, 94 in 1980 and 91 in 1986. Another warm low was 74 in 1986. The record high of 102 and record warmest low of 82 were set on a very hot day back in 1911. 24 of the last 31 highs were: 70s (9) and 80s (15). Six highs were in the warmer 90s. One high was in the cooler 60s.

In looking back through the years to the first July at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 94 with a warm low of 77, a hot day. In 1972 the high was 73 with a cool low of 44 (year of the record low), a cool day. In 1967 the high was 66 with a low of 48, a cool day and year of the record coolest high. In 1965 the high was 79 with a cool low of 42, a 37 degree spread and overall cool day. In 1964 the high was 83 with a cool low of 46 (tied record low), a 37 degree spread. In 1963 the high was 85 with a cool low of 50, a 35 degree spread. In 1961 the high was a cool 69.

More recently, there were large spreads of: 38 degrees in 1988 (98/60), 36 degrees in 1980 (94/58), 35 degrees in 1982 (95/60) and 32 degrees in 1996 (86/54).

On the cool side, in 1983 the high was 67 with a low of 48. Four years earlier, in 1979, the high was 71 with a low of 47. The record low of 46 was set in 1972 at Midway. The record coolest high of 65 occurred in 1967 at Midway. 25 of the last 31 lows were: 50s (10) and 60s (15). Two lows were in the cooler 40s and four lows were in the warmer 70s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 4:49 and sunrise was at 5:23. Sunset is at 20:33 and twilight ends at 21:07. There's a total of 15 hours, 10 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 18 minutes between twilights. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:49 and sunrise is at 5:24. The moon reached last quarter yesterday morning at 9:35 and is now waning crescent. Illumination was 44% at midnight, will be 39% at noon and 34% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 20 minutes past midnight. Moonset is at 14:30 and moonrise is at 48 minutes past midnight tonight. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 10 minutes which is 44 minutes longer than yesterday. Moonlight time increases as the moon wanes, an inverse.

NASCAR races in my area in four days and Parent's Day is in 20 days. - Bernie -