November 4: ORD

Today is November 4th. It's the 308th day of the year. 57 days remain. It's week 44 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 54 and the normal low is 35. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 53 and 37.

On the warm side, in 1981 the high was 71 with a low of 54. Two years ago the high was 71 with a low of 50. Three decades earlier, in 1978, the high was the record high of 74 (same temperature, record set at Midway) with a low of 45. In 2005 the high was 70 with a low of 49. In 1994 the high was 65 with a low of 52. In 2003 the high was 70 with a low of 47. In 1987 the high was 68 with a low of 46. The record warmest low of 59 occurred in 1975. 18 of the last 32 highs (56%) have been: 40s (8) and 50s (10). Ten highs were in the warmer: 60s (5) and 70s (5). Four highs were in the cooler: 20s (1) and 30s (3). The last 60s high was nine years ago (61 in 2001). We've had three 70s highs in that same time span.

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable: in 1977 the low was a warm 50. In 1975 the high was 66 with a low of 55, a warm day and year of the record warmest low. In 1974 the high was 45 with a low of 40, a five degree spread. In 1972 the high was 44 with a low of 39, a five degree spread. In 1969 the high was a cool 42 with a low of 36, a six degree spread. In 1967 the high was a cool 37 with a low of 28, a cool day. In 1964 the high was a warm 71 with a low of 45, a warm day. In 1963 the high was 50 with a low of 45, a five degree spread. In 1962 the high was a cool 39 degrees with a low of 33, a six degree spread. In 1958 the high was a warm 68 degrees.

More recently, there was a large spread of 39 degrees in 1999 (65/26). There were small spreads of five degrees in 1997 (41/37), five degrees in 1992 (38/33) and six degrees in 1985 (43/37).

On the cool side, in 1991 the high was 25 with the record low of 11 (our only 10s low), a very winter-like day (26 degrees below normal). Four years later, in 1995, the high was 33 with a low of 20. In 1982 the high was 31 with a low of 25. Other cool highs were 38 in 1992, 41 in 1997 and 41 in 1998. The record coolest high of 24 was set in 1951. 15 of the last 32 lows (47%) were 30s. Six lows were in the cooler 10s (1) and 20s (5). 11 lows were in the warmer: 40s (8) and 50s (3). Today (2010) I was witness to precipitation in the form of sleet. It melted shortly after hitting the ground. This occurred at about 15:45.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 7:01 and sunrise is at 7:30. Sunset is at 17:43 and twilight ends at 18:12. There's a total of 10 hours, 13 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 11 minutes between twilights. We are losing two or three minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 7:02 and sunrise is at 7:31. The moon is waning crescent and reaches new tomorrow night at 23:52. Illumination was 5% at midnight, will be 3% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 5:42 this morning. Moonset was at 16:28 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 6:58 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 46 minutes which is 45 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Veteran's Day is in seven days. -Bernie-