November 23: ORD

Today is November 23rd. It's the 327th day of the year. 38 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 43 and the normal low is 29. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 46 and 29.

On the warm side, in 1999 the high was 63 with a low of 40. In 2001 the high was 59 with a low of 44. In 1998 the high was 60 with a low of 40. In 2003 the high was 65 (the most recent 60s high) with a low of 30, a 35 degree spread. Other warm highs were 60 in 1983, 58 in 2006 and 55 in 1993. Another warm low was 41 last year. The record high of 69 and record warmest low of 62 were set on the same day back in 1931. Over the last 32 years, 21 highs (66%) were: 30s (9) and 40s (12). Ten highs (31%) were in the warmer: 50s (6) and 60s (4). One high was 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 1977 the high was 38 with a low of 33, a five degree spread. In 1976 the high was a cold 31. In 1974 the high was a warm 61 with a low of 40, a warm day. In 1972 the high was a cold 31 degrees. In 1970 the high was 21 with a low of 10, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 55 with a low of 44, a warm day. In 1966 the high was 62 with a low of 53, a another warm day. In 1958 the high was a warm 58 with a low of 38, a warm day.

More recently, the only other large spread was 31 degrees in 1983 (60/29). There were small spreads of two degrees in 1992 (39/37) and three degrees in 1996 (37/34).

On the cold side, in 1989 the high was 27 with a low of 10 (the most recent 10s low). In 1985 the high was 36 with a low of 13. Another cold low was 17 in 1981. The record low of -1 was set in 1950. The record coldest high of 19 occurred way back in 1893. 24 of the last 32 lows (75%) were: 20s (10) and 30s (14). Four lows were in the cold 10s (a.k.a. teens) and four lows were in the warmer 40s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight began at 6:23 and sunrise was at 6:53. Sunset is at 16:26 and twilight ends at 16:56. There's a total of 9 hours, 33 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 33 minutes between twilights. We are losing a minute or two of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:24 and sunrise is at 6:55. The moon is waning gibbous, having passed full two days ago as the full Beaver (a.k.a. Frost) moon. Illumination was 97% at midnight, will be 95% at noon and 93% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 8:53 this morning. Moonrise is at 18:06 tonight. Moonset is at 9:43 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 47 minutes which is 2 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Thanksgiving is in two days. Pearl Harbor Day is in 14 days. -Bernie-