January 14: ORD

Today is January 14th. It's the 14th day of the year. 351 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. The 32-year averages are 29 and 15.

On the warm side, in 1987 the high was 45 with a low of 30. In 1996 the high was 47 with a low of 28. Six years earlier, in 1990, the high was 45 with a low of 29. Five years later, in 1995, the high was 39 with a low of 35, a four degree spread. Last year, in 2010, the high was 40 with a low of 31. In 2002 the high was 40 with a low of 30. The year before, 2001, the high was 36 with a low of 32, a four degree spread. Five years later, in 2006, the high was 37 with a low of 28. Another warm high was 41 in 1980. Other warm lows were 30 in 2007 and 26 in 1983. The record high of 60 was set back in 1928 and the record warmest low of 41 was set in 1953. 21 of the last 32 highs (66%) were: 20s (11) and 30s (10). On the warmer side, six highs were 40s. On the cold side, five highs were: 10s (aka teens) (3) and single digits (2).

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1975 the low was a cold 2 degrees. In 1972 the high was 14 with a low of -10, a cold day. In 1970 the high was 25 with a low of 21, a four degree spread. In 1969 the high was 27 with a low of 23, a four degree spread. In 1968 the high was 35 with a warm low of 31, a four degree spread and warm day. In 1967 the low was a warm 26 degrees. In 1965 the high was 15 with a low of -7, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 7 with a low of -12, a cold day. In 1962 the high was 33 with a low of 28, a five degree spread. In 1960 the high was 38 with a warm low of 34, a four degree spread and warm day. In 1959 the high was 41 with a low of 32, a warm day.

More recently, we had small spreads of three degrees in 2007 (33/30) and four degrees in 1999 (20/16). In 1985 the spread was a large 30 degrees (33/3).

On the cold side, in 1994 the high was the record coldest high of 1 with a low of -10. The former record coldest high of 2 occurred way back in 1905. In 1982 the high was 9 with a low of -10. Three years earlier, in 1979, the high was 21 with a low of -12, a large 33 degree spread. The record low of -14 was set this same year (1979) at Midway. Usually the low at O'Hare would be colder than at Midway, so this is a bit unusual. Two years ago, in 2009, the high was 14 with a low of -2. In 1997 the high was 20 with a low of -3. In 2005 the high was 15 with a low of 4. Another cold low was 0 in 1988. 27 of the last 32 lows (84%) were: single digits (6), 10s (aka teens) (7), 20s (8) and 30s (6). Five lows were in the cold: negative 10s (aka negative teens) (3) and negative single digits (2). Through Winter 2010-11, this is the average tenth coldest day of the year.

Today is a major day in O'Hare's snow history. In 1979, 0.6 inches fell. This was the fourth day of a 21.7 inch, seven day stretch of snow.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:49 and sunrise is at 7:20. Sunset is at 16:45 and twilight ends at 17:16. There's a total of 9 hours, 25 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 27 minutes between twilights. We gained a minute of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:49 and sunrise is at 7:20. The moon is waxing gibbous, having reached first quarter two mornings ago at 5:31. Illumination was 67% at midnight, will be 72% at noon and 76% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 2:20 this morning. Moonrise is at 12:02 this afternoon. Moonset is at 3:23 early tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 18 minutes which is 28 minutes longer than yesterday.

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