November 15: ORD

Today is November 15th. It's the 319th day of the year. 46 days remain. It's week 46 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 47 and the normal low is 32. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 48 and 34.

On the warm side, in 1990 the high was 70 with a low of 52. In 2001 the high was 68 with a low of 54. In 1988 the high was 65 with a low of 47. Other warm highs were 63 in 1987 and 62 in 1981. The record high of 71 was set in 1971. The record high of 71 also occurred in 1955 and two years earlier in 1953. The record warmest low of 60 was set in 1960. Over the last 32 years, 16 highs have been 40s. 11 highs were in the warmer: 50s (6), 60s (4) and 70s (1). Five highs were in the cold 30s.

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 a warm 60 degrees. In 1976 the low was a cold 17. In 1972 the high was 38 with a low of 32, a mere six degree spread. In 1971 the high was a warm 68 with a low of 41, a warm day and year of the record high. In 1969 the high was 32 with a low of 20, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 46 with a low of 43, a mere three degree spread. In 1967 the low was a cold 20 degrees. In 1964 the high was 62 with a low of 53, a warm day. In 1962 the low was a warm 45 degrees. In 1960 the high was 65 with a low of 55, a warm day and year of the record warmest low. In 1959 the high was 38 with a cold low of 13 degrees, a cold day. In 1958 the high was 61 with a low of 56, a warm day.

More recently, there were no large spreads of 30 degrees or more. There were small spreads of four degrees in 2002 (40/36), four degrees in 2003 (42/38), four degrees in 2006 (47/43), six degrees in 1993 (44/38), seven degrees in 1979 (47/40), seven degrees in 1985 (42/35), seven degrees in 1998 (46/39) and seven degrees two years ago (42/35).

On the cold side, in 1982 the high was 34 with a low of 13. In 1995 the high was 34 with a low of 20. In 1992 the high was 36 with a low of 21. Another cold high was 34 in 1997. The record low of 10 and record coolest high of 18 were set on the same cold day back in 1933. 18 of the last 32 lows were 30s. Eight lows were in the cold: 10s (1) and 20s (7). Six lows were in the warmer: 40s (4) and 50s (2).
Our most recent 30s high was 39 in 2000.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:14 and sunrise is at 6:44. Sunset is at 16:32 and twilight ends at 17:02. There's a total of 9 hours, 48 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 48 minutes between twilights. We are losing two minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:15 and sunrise is at 6:45. The moon is waxing gibbous, having reached first quarter two mornings ago at 10:39. Illumination was 65% at midnight, will be 69% at noon and 73% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 0:42 this morning. Moonrise is at 13:20 this afternoon. Moonset is at 1:42 tonight. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 22 minutes which is 20 minutes longer than yesterday.

Thanksgiving is in ten days. Pearl Harbor Day is in 22 days. -Bernie-