November 26: ORD

Today is November 26th. It's the 330th day of the year. 35 days remain. It's week 48 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 42 and the normal low is 28. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 47 and 30.

On the warm side, in 1984 the high was 64 with a low of 45. In 2006 the high was 62 (our most recent 60s high) with a low of 45. In 1990 the high was the record high of 67 with a low of 39. Two years before, in 1988, the high was 59 with a low of 45. A decade later, in 1998, the high was 61 with a low of 39. In 1981 the high was 62 with a low of 33. The record warmest low of 57 occurred way back in 1896. Over the last 32 years, 15 highs (47%) have been 40s. 11 highs (34%) were in the warmer: 50s (6) and 60s (5). Our most recent 50s high was 50 in 2001. Six highs were in the cold: 20s (2) and 30s (4).

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 19 with a low of 2, a cold day and year of the record coldest high. That low of 2 also unofficially tied the record low. In 1976 the high was a warm 58 with a low of 35, a warm day. In 1972 the high was 33 with a low of 31, a two degree spread. In 1971 the high was 39 with a low of 35, a four degree spread. In 1968 the high was a warm 55 degrees with a low of 38, a warm day. In 1966 the high was a warm 56 degrees. In 1965 the high was a warm 64 degrees with a a low of 34, a 30 degree spread and warm day. In 1962 the high was a warm 54 degrees. In 1961 the high was a warm 55 degrees with a low of 39, a warm day. In 1960 the high was 62 with a low of 45, a warm day. In 1959 the high was a cold 30 with a low of 23, a seven degree spread. In 1958 the high was 27 with a low of 15, a cold day.

More recently, there were no large spreads. There were small spreads of four degrees in 2000 (41/37) and five degrees in 1987 (43/38).

On the cold side, in 1996 the high was 27 with a low of 14. Five years earlier, in 1991, the high was 37 with a low of 8. Another cold high was 29 in 2002. The record low of 2 was set way back in 1898. The record coldest high of 19 was set in 1977. 15 of the last 32 lows (47%) were 30s. 14 lows (44%) were in the cold: 0s (1), 10s (4) and 20s (9). Three lows were in the warmer 40s. In the last five years, all categories of lows were represented except the 0s (the low of 8 in 1991): 18 in 2005, 45 in 2006, 31 in 2007, 24 in 2008 and 33 last year.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight is at 6:26 and sunrise is at 6:57. Sunset is at 16:24 and twilight ends at 16:55. There's a total of 9 hours, 27 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 29 minutes between twilights. We are losing a minute or two of daylight per day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:27 and sunrise is at 6:58. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 78% at midnight, will be 73% at noon and 68% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 11:02 this morning. Moonrise is at 21:34 tonight. Moonset is at 11:34 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 28 minutes which is 36 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Pearl Harbor Day is in 11 days. -Bernie-