November 16: ORD

Today is November 16th. It's the 320th day of the year. 45 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 31. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 46 and 32.

On the warm side, in 1987 the high was 61 with a low of 50. In 2004 the high was 56 (our most recent 50s high) with a low of 46. Other warm highs were 64 in 1988 and 60 in 2001 (our most recent 60s high). As you can see, there were back to back 60s highs and then a long absence of 13 years until the next one. Another warm low was 44 last year. The record high of 73 was set in 1952. The record warmest low of 53 was set back in 1931. Over the last 32 years, 15 highs have been 40s. Ten highs were in the warmer: 50s (7) and 60s (3). Seven highs were in the cold: 20s (1) and 30s (6).

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable: in 1975 the high was a warm 65 with a low of 36, a warm day. In 1971 the high was a warm 68 with a low of 40, a warm day. In 1969 the high was 51 with a low of 20, a 31 degree spread. In 1968 the high was 46 with a low of 42, a mere four degree spread. In 1966 the high was 62 with a low of 49, a warm day. In 1964 the high was a warm 59 degrees. In 1963 the high was a warm 62 with a low of 42, a warm day. In 1962 the high was 48 with a warm low of 43, a five degree spread. In 1959 the high was 36 with a cold low of 6, a 30 degree spread, cold day and year of the record low. In 1958 the high was 63 with a low of 48, a warm day.

More recently, there was a large spread of 32 degrees in 1988 (64/32). There were small spreads of four degrees last year (48/44), five degrees in 1993 (43/38), five degrees in 2002 (36/31), five degrees in 2003 (47/42) and six degrees in 2006 (43/37).

On the cold side, in 1997 the high was 27 with a low of 17. In 1989 the high was 34 with a low of 18. The record low of 6 was set in 1959. The record coldest high of 21 was set back in 1933. 23 of the last 32 lows were: 20s (10) and 30s (13). Two lows were in the colder 10s (a.k.a. teens). Seven lows were in the warmer: 40s (6) and 50s (1).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:15 and sunrise is at 6:45. Sunset is at 16:31 and twilight ends at 17:01. There's a total of 9 hours, 46 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 46 minutes between twilights. We are losing two minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:16 and sunrise is at 6:46. The moon is waxing gibbous. Illumination was 73% at midnight, will be 77% at noon and 81% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 1:42 this morning. Moonrise is at 13:42 this afternoon. Moonset is at 2:42 tonight. Moonlight time is 12 hours which is 38 minutes longer than yesterday.

Thanksgiving is in nine days. Pearl Harbor Day is in 21 days. -Bernie-