January 10: ORD

Today is January 10th. It's the 10th day of the year. 355 days remain. It's week 2 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 29 and the normal low is 14. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 29 and 15.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was 46 with a low of 37. Two years later, in 2002, the high was 44 with a low of 34. In 1983 the high was 41 with a low of 35, a six degree spread. Three years ago, in 2008, the high was 44 with a low of 32. In 1980 the high was 52 with a low of 16, a 36 degree spread. Other warm lows were 29 (in 1987, 1990 and 2005). Both records were established in 1975. That year registered a high of 60 with a low of 42 at Midway. 20 of the last 32 highs (62%) were: 20s (8) and 30s (12). On the warmer side, five highs (16%) were: 40s (4) and 50s (1). On the cold side, seven highs (22%) were: negative single digits (1), single digits (1) and 10s (aka teens) (5).

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 8 with a low of -7, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 19 with a low of -2, a cold day. In 1976 the low was a cold 5 degrees. In 1975 the high was 60 with a low of 41. Midway's high was also 60 (the record) but at Midway the low was a degree higher at 42, the record warmest low. In 1973 the high was 19 with a low of 0, a cold day. In 1972 the high was 46 with a low of 31, a warm day. In 1970 the high was 17 with a low of -4, a cold day. In 1969 the high was 15 with a low of -3, a cold day. In 1964 the high was 20 with a cold low of 5, a cold day. In 1963 the low was a warm 30 degrees. In 1962 the high was 4 with a low of -15, a cold day. In 1960 the low was a warm 29 degrees. In 1959 the low was a cold 3 degrees.

More recently, we had four days of small spreads. One was at five degrees: 34/29 in 1987. Three others were six degrees: 25/19 in 1985, 27/21 in 1993 and 35/29 in 2005.

On the cold side, in 1982 the high was the record coldest high of -4 with the record low of -26. The low at Rockford was -27. Three years earlier, in 1979, the high was 2 with a low of -13. In 1988 the high was 15 with a low of -12. A decade and a year later, in 1999, the high was 14 with a low of -2. In 1981 the high was 16 with a low of -2. In 1984 the high was 20 with a low of -4. Last year the high was 18 with a low of 0. Another cold high was 17 in 1998. 19 of the last 32 lows (59%) were: 10s (10) and 20s (9). Nine lows (28%) were in the cold: negative 20s (1), negative 10s (aka negative teens) (2), negative single digits (3) and single digits (3). Four lows (13%) were in the warmer 30s. Through Winter 2010-11, this is the average eighth coldest day of the year.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:21. Sunset is at 16:41 and twilight ends at 17:12. There's a total of 9 hours, 20 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 22 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:21. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 30% at midnight, will be 34% at noon and 39% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 10:09 this morning. Moonset is at 23:16 tonight. Moonrise is at 10:32 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 7 minutes which is 38 minutes longer than yesterday.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is in seven days. -Bernie-