November 21: ORD

Today is November 21st. It's the 325th day of the year. 40 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 44 and 29.

On the warm side, in 1990 the high was 66 (our most recent 60s high and warmest temperature) with a low of 49. In 1979 the high was 60 with a low of 47. Another warm high was 57 in 1992. The record high of 72 and record warmest low of 62 were set on the same warm day back in 1913. Over the last 32 years, 28 highs (88%) have been: 30s (10), 40s (8) and 50s (10). Two highs were in the warmer 60s and two were in the cold 20s.

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable: in 1976 the high was 36 with a low of 29, a seven degree spread. In 1975 the high was 39 with a low of 33, a six degree spread. In 1974 the high was 38 with a low of 31, a seven degree spread. In 1973 the high was a warm 61 with a low of 36, a warm day. In 1972 the high was 37 with a low of 31, a six degree spread. In 1970 the high was 55, then a cold front came through and by the 23rd, the low was 10, a 45 degree drop. In 1967 the high was 40 with a low of 33, a seven degree spread. In 1964 the high was just 15 with a low of 5, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 62 with a low of 43, a warm day.

More recently, there were no large spreads. There were small spreads of four degrees in 1988 (35/31), five degrees in 1978 (31/26), and seven degrees in 1996 (37/30).

On the cold side, in 2000 the high was 24 with a low of 14. Two years ago the high was 29 with a low of 17. In 1985 the high was 35 with a low of 13. In 1981 the high was 30 with a low of 20. In 1987 the high was 35 with a low of 16. Another cold low was 16 in 1984. Another cold high was 31 in 1978. The record low of 1 and record coldest high of 11 were set on the same cold day way back in 1880. 16 of the last 32 lows (50%) were in the 30s, but the most recent 30s low occurred 14 years ago (37 in 1996). 13 of the last 32 lows (41%) were in the: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (5) and 20s (8). Three lows were in the warmer 40s. Our most recent 40s low was 41 in 2003.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:20 and sunrise was at 6:51. Sunset is at 16:27 and twilight ends at 16:58. There's a total of 9 hours, 36 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 38 minutes between twilights. We are losing two minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:22 and sunrise is at 6:52. The moon is full today, the full Beaver (a.k.a. Frost) moon occurs at 11:27. Illumination was 100% at midnight, will be 100% at noon and 100% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 6:54 this morning. Moonrise is at 16:16 this afternoon. Moonset is at 7:56 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 38 minutes which is 22 minutes longer than yesterday.

Thanksgiving is in four days. Pearl Harbor Day is in 16 days. -Bernie-