January 2: ORD

Today is January 2nd. It's the 2nd day of the year. 363 days remain. It's week 1 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 30 and the normal low is 15. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 33 and 19.

On the warm side, in 2004 the high was the record high of 61 with a low of 37. Four years before, in 2000, the high was the former record high of 60 with a low of 35. Before 2000, the record high was 58 in 1950. In 1997 the high was 53 with a low of 37. A year later, in 1998, the high was 50 with a low of 37. In 2005 the high was 54 with a low of 33. A year later, in 2006, the high was 42 with a low of 40, a two degree spread. In 1992 the high was 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. In 2007 the high was 43 with a low of 26. Other warm lows were 29 in 1987 and 28 (1980, 1994, 2003). The record warmest low of 47 was set way back in 1897. 20 of the last 32 highs (63%) were: 20s (7) and 30s (13). On the warmer side, eight highs (25%) were: 40s (3), 50s (3) and 60s (2). On the cold side, four highs (12%) were: single digits (1) and 10s (aka teens)(3).

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 13 with a low of -4, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 19 with a cold low of 2, a cold day. In 1974 the high was 15 with a low of 1, yet another cold day. In 1969 the high was 22 with a cold low of 0, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 20 with a low of 16, a four degree spread. In 1966 the high was 44 with a low of 27, a warm day. In 1965 the low was a warm 29 degrees. In 1963 the high was 31 with a low of 26, a five degree spread. In 1961 the high was 31 with a low of 24, a seven degree spread. In 1960 the high was 43 with a low of 31, a warm day.

More recently, we had small spreads of three degrees in 2003 (31/28), four degrees in 1994 (32/28), five degrees in 1980 (33/28) and seven degrees in 1987 (36/29).

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was the near-record coldest high of 4 with the near-record low of -13. The record low of -16 was set way back in 1879 and the record coldest high of 2 was set back in 1920. In 1985 the high was 14 with a low of -3. Last year the high was 11 with a low of 2. Three years ago the high was 20 with a low of 2. Another cold low was 2 in 1988. 29 of the last 32 lows (91%) were: single digits (6), 10s (9), 20s (8) and 30s (6). On the brutally cold side, one low was in the negative 10s (aka negative teens) and one low was in the negative single digits. On the warmer side, one low was in the 40s.

Today is a major snow day in O'Hare's history. In 1999, 18.6 inches fell. This was the second day of a three day, 21.6 inch storm. This 18.6 inches was the most snow ever recorded in a calendar day in Chicago. This storm comprised 73% of the month's total of 29.6 inches.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:22. Sunset is at 16:33 and twilight ends at 17:04. There's a total of 9 hours, 11 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 13 minutes between twilights. We are gaining a minute of daylight per day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:51 and sunrise is at 7:22. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 5% at midnight, will be 3% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 5:56 this morning. Moonset is at 15:03 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 6:48 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 7 minutes which is three minutes less than yesterday.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is in 15 days. -Bernie-