November 28: ORD

Today is November 28th. It's the 332nd day of the year. 33 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 41 and the normal low is 27. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 43 and 29.

On the warm side, in 2006 the high was 61 with the record warmest low of 54, a seven degree spread. That low of 54 was also our only 50s low. The former record warmest low of 48 occurred in 1916. In 1998 the high was 67 with a low of 41 (our most recent 40s low). In 2005 the high was 61 with a low of 39. In 1997 the high was 56 with a low of 43. A decade earlier, in 1987, the high was 51 with a low of 42. Another warm high was 54 last year. The record high of 69 was set way back in 1905. Over the last 32 years, 24 highs (75%) have been: 30s (13) and 40s (11). Seven highs were in the warmer: 50s (4) and 60s (3). One high was in the cold 20s. The most recent 30s high was 37 in 2003. A high of 61 occurred in the back to back years of 2005 and 2006.

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 23 with a low of 7, a cold day. In 1976 the high was 16 with a low of 6, another cold day. In 1970 the high was 42 with a warm low of 40, a two degree spread. Temperatures yesterday and today in 1970 were the same. In 1968 the high was 42 with a low of 35, a seven degree spread. In 1966 the high was 35 with a low of 30, a five degree spread. In 1965 the high was a cold 29 degrees. In 1964 the high was a warm 54 degrees with a low of 18, a 36 degree spread. In 1962 the high was a warm 56 degrees. In 1960 the high was a warm 63 with a low of 28, a 35 degree spread and warm day. Also in 1960, there was a rare 42 degree drop in temperature from the high of 63 on the 28th to a low of 19 on the 30th. In 1959 the high was a cold 24 with a low of 16, a cold day. In 1958 the high was a cold 25 with a low of 16, a cold day.

More recently, there were no other large spreads. There were small spreads of three degrees in 1980 (35/32), six degrees in 1991 (38/32), seven degrees in 1982 (41/34), seven degrees in 1994 (40/33) and seven degrees in 2001 (42/35).

On the cold side, in 1995 the high was 29 (our only 20s high) with a low of 13. In 2002 the high was 33 with a low of 15. The record low of 0 was set way back in 1887 and earlier in 1872. The record coldest high of 13 occurred way back in 1891. 23 of the last 32 lows (72%) were: 20s (14) and 30s (9). Five lows were in the cold 10s (a.k.a. teens). Four lows were in the warmer: 40s (3) and 50s (1).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:28 and sunrise is at 6:59. Sunset is at 16:23 and twilight ends at 16:54. There's a total of 9 hours, 24 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 26 minutes between twilights. We are losing a minute or two of daylight per day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:29 and sunrise is at 7:00. The moon reaches last quarter this afternoon at 14:36. Illumination was 57% at midnight, will be 51% at noon and 46% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 12:02 this afternoon. Moonrise is a minute before midnight tonight. Moonset is at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 3 minutes which is 44 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Pearl Harbor Day is in nine days. Bill of Rights Day is in 17 days. -Bernie-