November 1: ORD

Today is November 1st. It's the 305th day of the year. 60 days remain. It's week 44 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 55 and the normal low is 36. I've calculated the 31-year averages at 56 and 40.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was 73 (our most recent 70s high) with a low of 53. A year later, in 2001, the high was 66 (our most recent 60s high) with a low of 58. In 1990 the high was 73 with a low of 48. In 1982 the high was 67 with a low of 51. In 1999 the high was 73 with a low of 45. In 1981 the high was 64 with a low of 49. In 1987 the high was 66 with a low of 47. Note that all three 70s highs have been 73. Another warm high was 67 in 1984. Other warm lows were 51 in 1985, 51 in 1998, 49 in 1995, 48 in 2004 and 48 two years ago. The record high of 81 was set in 1950. The record warmest low of 60 occurred in 1933. 13 of the last 32 highs have been 50s. 11 highs were in the warmer 60s (8) and 70s (3). Eight highs were in the cooler: 30s (1) and 40s (7).

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable: in 1977 the high was 61 with a warm low of 58, only a three degree spread and warm day. In 1975 the high was 59 with a warm low of 52, a seven degree spread. In 1974 the high was 74 with a low of 54, a warm day. In 1972 the high was 51 with a low of 45, a six degree spread. In 1971 the high was a warm 70 with a low of 35, a 35 degree spread. In 1969 the high was 50 with a low of 44, a six degree spread. In 1968 the high was a warm 71 with a low of 47, a warm day. In 1966 the high was a cool 41 degrees. In 1964 the high was a warm 67 degrees. In 1962 the low was a cold 24 degrees. In 1960 the high was 45 with a low of 40, a five degree spread.

More recently, there was a large spread of 41 degrees in 1984 (67/26). There were small spreads of four degrees in 2003 (49/45), five degrees in 1998 (56/51), six degrees in 1992 (48/42), six degrees last year (54/48) and seven degrees in 1985 (58/51).

On the cool side, in 1996 the high was 38 (the only 30s high) with a low of 25. In 2002 the high was 40 with a low of 25. Another cold low was 23 in 1993. Another cool high was 42 in 2006. The record low of 21 was set way back in 1879. The record coolest high of 35 occurred in 1954. 21 of the last 32 lows (66%) were: 30s (10) and 40s (11). Six lows were in the cooler 20s and five lows were in the warmer 50s. The last 50s low was 58 in 2001. Three of the four years from 1998 to 2001 had lows in the 50s. The last 20s low was 27 in 2006.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:57 and sunrise is at 7:26. Sunset is at 17:47 and twilight ends at 18:16. There's a total of 10 hours, 21 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 19 minutes between twilights. We are losing two or three minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:58 and sunrise is at 7:28. The moon reached last quarter two days ago at 7:46 in the morning and is waning crescent. Illumination was 31% at midnight, will be 26% at noon and 21% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 1:57 this morning. Moonset is at 15:00 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 3:11 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 3 minutes which is 45 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Election Day is tomorrow. Veteran's Day is in ten days. -Bernie-