November 20: ORD

Today is November 20th. It's the 324th day of the year. 41 days remain. It's week 47 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 44 and the normal low is 30. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 47 and 31.

On the warm side, in 1982 the high was 66 with a low of 42. A decade later, in 1992, the high was 63 with a low of 40. In 1994 the high was 59 with a low of 44. Three years ago the high was 55 with a low of 45. In 2003 the high was 65 (our most recent 60s high) with a low of 34, a 31 degree spread. Two decades earlier, in 1983, the high was 58 with a low of 40. In 1979 the high was 60 with a low of 37. In 2004 the high was 54 with a low of 43. Other warm highs were 58 in the back to back years of 1989 and 1990. Another warm low was 42 last year. The record high of 68 was set back in 1930 and previously in 1913. The record warmest low of 62 occurred back in 1913. Over the last 32 years, 26 highs (81%) have been: 30s (8), 40s (9) and 50s (9). Four highs were in the warmer 60s. Two highs were in the cooler 20s.

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 1975 the high was a warm 60 degrees. In 1973 the high was 58 with a low of 42, a warm day. In 1969 the high was 28 with a low of 15, a cold day. In 1968 the high was a cold 30 degrees. In 1967 the high was 34 with a low of 32, a mere two degree spread. In 1964 the high was 32 with a low of 13, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 53 with a warm low of 44, a warm day.

More recently, there were no other large spreads. There were small spreads of four degrees in 1986 (37/33), seven degrees in 1978 (32/25), and seven degrees in 1998 (34/27).

On the cold side, in 1985 the high was 27 with a low of 17. In 2000 the high was 29 (our most recent 20s high) with a low of 18 (our most recent 10s low). Another cold low was 18 in 1984. Another cold high was 32 in 1978. The record low of 8 was set way back in 1873. The record coolest high of 20 occurred way back in 1887. 29 of the last 32 lows (91%) were: 20s (12), 30s (10), and 40s (7). Three lows were in the cold 10s (a.k.a. teens).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:18 and sunrise was at 6:50. Sunset is at 16:28 and twilight ends at 16:58. There's a total of 9 hours, 38 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 39 minutes between twilights. We are losing two minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:20 and sunrise is at 6:51. The moon is waxing gibbous, heading towards the full Beaver (a.k.a. Frost) moon tomorrow at 11:27. Illumination was 98% at midnight, will be 99% at noon and 100% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 5:50 this morning. Moonrise is at 15:34 this afternoon. Moonset is at 6:54 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 16 minutes which is 31 minutes longer than yesterday.

Thanksgiving is in five days. Pearl Harbor Day is in 17 days. -Bernie-