January 19: ORD

Today is January 19th. It's the 19th day of the year. 346 days remain. It's week 3 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 13.

On the warm side, in 2006 the high was 55 with a low of 27. In 1989 the high was 49 with a low of 25. Two years later, in 1991, the high was 44 with a low of 29. A decade earlier, in 1981, the high was 43 with a low of 28. Seven years later, in 1988, the high was 38 with a low of 33, a five degree spread. In 1995 the high was 36 with a low of 32, a four degree spread. Other warm lows were 28 in 1986 and 27 last year. The record high of 57 was set back in 1933 and the record warmest low of 38 was set way back in 1880. 22 of the last 32 highs (69%) were: 20s (10) and 30s (12). On the warmer side, three highs were 40s and one was in the 50s. On the cold side, three highs were in the 10s (aka teens) and three were in the single digits.

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 28 with a low of 21, a seven degree spread. In 1977 the high was 16 with a low of 1, a cold day. In 1974 the high was 36 with a warm low of 35, a single degree spread and warm day. In 1973 the high was 48 with a low of 26, a warm day. In 1970 the high was 3 with a low of -11, cold day. In 1969 the high was 32 with a warm low of 26, a six degree spread. In 1968 the high was 36 with a warm low of 32, a four degree spread and warm day. In 1966 the high was 22 with a cold low of -7, a cold day. In 1964 the high was 45 with a low of 32, a warm day. In 1963 the high was a cold 10 degrees with a low of 3, a seven degree spread and cold day. In 1962 the high was 17 with a low of -2, a cold day.

More recently, we had a large spread of 38 degrees in 1992 as the high was 33 and the low was -5.

On the cold side, in 1994 the high was the record coldest high of 3 with a low of -19. In 1985 the high was 10 with the record low of -23, a 33 degree spread. A year earlier, in 1984, the high was 8 with a low of -13. Three years ago, in 2008, the high was 6 with a low of -3. In 1996 the high was 13 with a low of 4. In 2004 the high was 18 with a low of 3. Other cold lows were -5 in 1992 and -1 in 1997. 24 of the past 32 lows (75%) have been in the: single digits (6), 10s (aka teens) (8) and 20s (10). Six lows were in the cold: negative 20s (1), negative 10s (aka negative teens) (2) and negative single digits (3). Two lows were in the warmer 30s. Through Winter 2010-11, this is the average third coldest day of the year.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:47 and sunrise is at 7:18. Sunset is at 16:51 and twilight ends at 17:22. There's a total of 9 hours, 33 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 35 minutes between twilights. We gained a minute of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:46 and sunrise is at 7:17. The moon reaches the full Wolf or Old moon today at 15:21. Illumination was 99% at midnight, will be 100% at noon and 100% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 6:56 this morning. Moonrise is at 16:59 this afternoon. Moonset is at 7:34 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 57 minutes which is 30 minutes shorter than yesterday.

National Freedom Day is in 13 days and Groundhog Day is in 14 days. -Bernie-