October 19: ORD

Today is October 19th. It's the 292nd day of the year. 73 days remain. It's week 42 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 61 and the normal low is 41. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 60 and 41.

On the warm side, in 1979 the high was 74 with the record warmest low of 65. In 1994 the high was 74 with a low of 55. A year later, in 1995, the high was 79 with a low of 49, a 30 degree spread. Another warm high was 76 in 2000, our most recent 70s high. The record high of 84 was set in 1971. Over the last 31 years, 23 highs (74%) have been: 50s (10) and 60s (13). Four highs were in the warmer 70s and four highs were in the cooler 40s.

In looking back through the years to the first October at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: in 1976 the high was a cool 46 degrees. In 1975 the high was 54 with a low of 47, a seven degree spread. In 1973 the high was a warm 75 with a low of 41, a 34 degree spread. In 1972 the high was 42 with a low of 26, a cold day. In 1971 the high was 83 with a low of 64, a warm day. 1971 was the year of the record high. In 1965 the high was a warm 77 with a low of 50, a warm day. In 1964 the high was 47 with a low of 27, a cold day. In 1963 the low was a warm 53 degrees. In 1962 the high was a warm 77 with a low of 44, a 33 degree spread.

More recently, there was a large spread of 33 degrees in 1997 (66/33). There were small spreads of three degrees in 2004 (52/49) and five degrees in 2006 (44/39).

On the cool side, in 1992 the high was 46 with the record low of 21. That low of 21 was our most recent 20s low (18 years ago). Three years earlier, in 1989, the high was 40 with a low of 33. Two years later, in 1991, the high was 47 with a low of 29. Other cold lows were 28 in both 1981 and 1990. Another cool high was 44 in 2006. The record coolest high of 36 occurred back in 1930. 22 of the last 31 lows (71%) were: 30s (8) and 40s (14). Four lows were in the cooler 20s. Five lows were in the warmer: 50s (4) and 60s (1).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:42 and sunrise is at 7:11. Sunset is at 18:05 and twilight ends at 18:34. There's a total of 10 hours, 54 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 52 minutes between twilights. We are losing two or three minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:43 and sunrise is at 7:12. The moon is waxing gibbous. Illumination was 87% at midnight, will be 90% at noon and 93% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 3:53 this morning. Moonrise is at 16:17 this afternoon. Moonset is at 4:52 tomorrow morning. Moonrise is at 16:39 tomorrow afternoon. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 36 minutes which is 38 minutes longer than yesterday.

United Nation's Day is in five days. Halloween is in 12 days. Election Day is in 14 days. -Bernie-