November 8: ORD

Today is November 8th. It's the 312th day of the year. 53 days remain. It's week 45 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 50 and the normal low is 35. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 53 and 35.

On the warm side, last year the high was 70 with a low of 45. In 1983 the high was 64 with a low of 48. In 2002 the high was 63 with a low of 48. Four years later, in 2006, the high was 64 with a low of 46. In 1994 the high was 61 with a low of 48. Five years later, in 1999, the high was 71 with a low of 38, a spread of 33 degrees. In 2005 the high was 62 with a low of 47. In 1984 the high was 64 with a low of 44. Another warm high was 66 in 1981. The record high of 73 was set in 1931. The record warmest low of 57 occurred in 1977. 27 of the last 32 highs (84%) were: 40s (10), 50s (8) and 60s (9). Two highs were in the warmer 70s. Three highs were in the cold 30s.

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 63 with a low of 56, a seven degree spread, warm day and year of the record warmest low. In 1976 the high was 37 with a low of 16, a cold day. In 1975 the high was 65 with a low of 51, a warm day. In 1973 the low was a cold 23 degrees. In 1972 the high was 43 with a low of 38, a five degree spread. In 1971 the low was a cold 20 degrees. In 1967 the low was a cold 23 degrees. In 1966 the high was 61 with a warm low of 47, a warm day. In 1964 the high was a warm 68 with a low of 36, a 32 degree spread. In 1962 the high was 43 with a low of 37, a six degree spread. In 1961 the high was a cool 38 degrees. In 1960 the high was 43 with a low of 37, a six degree spread.

More recently, there were no other large spreads. There were small spreads of five degrees two years ago (40/35) and seven degrees in 1998 (40/33).

On the cool side, in 1991 the high was 32 with the record low of 11. Four years later, in 1995, the high was also 32 with a low of 18. In 2003 the high was 33 with a low of 21 (our most recent 30s high and 20s low). Another cold low was 22 in 1990. 16 of the last 32 lows (50%) were 30s. Seven lows were in the cold: 10s (2) and 20s (5). Nine lows were in the warmer 40s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:05 and sunrise is at 6:35. Sunset is at 16:39 and twilight ends at 17:08. There's a total of 10 hours, 4 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 3 minutes between twilights. We are losing two or three minutes of daylight a day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:07 and sunrise is at 6:36. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 5% at midnight, will be 8% at noon and 11% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 9:26 this morning. Moonset is at 18:32 tonight. Moonrise is at 10:19 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 6 minutes which is 7 minutes shorter than yesterday. Moonlight time is at it's least today.

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