January 22: ORD

Today is January 22nd. It's the 22nd day of the year. 343 days remain. It's week 4 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 14. The 32-year averages are 34 and 19.

On the warm side, in 2002 the high was 55 with a low of 32. Three years earlier, in 1999, the high was 46 with a low of 38. A decade earlier, in 1989, the high was 50 with a low of 30. In 1996 the high was 43 with a low of 31. In 1990 the high was 42 with a low of 31. In 1981 the high was 47 with a low of 24. In 1992 the high was 41 with a low of 30. Five years later, in 1997, the high was 46 with a low of 25. Last year the high was 35 with a low of 33, a two degree spread. In 1983 the high was 35 with a low of 32, a three degree spread. A decade later, in 1993, the high was 39 with a low of 28. Another warm low was 31 in 1998. The record high of 59 and record warmest low of 51 were set on the same day way back in 1909. 22 of the last 32 highs (69%) were: 20s (11) and 30s (11). On the warm side, eight highs were in the: 40s (6) and 50s (2). On the cold side, two highs were in the 10s (a.k.a. teens).

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 21 with a cold low of -6, a cold day. In 1977 the low was a cold -1. In 1974 the high was 36 with a warm low of 34, a two degree spread and warm day. In 1973 the high was 42 with a low of 34, a warm day. In 1972 the high was 41 with a warm low of 29, a warm day. In 1970 the high was 19 with a cold low of -12, a cold day. In 1969 the high was 46 with a low of 37, a warm day. In 1968 the high was 39 with a warm low of 29, another warm day. In 1967 the high was 58 with a low of 36, another warm day. The warmth of 1967 was pre-blizzard warmth as Winter would soon come back in dramatic fashion. The high of 58 was just a degree short of the record high. In 1965 the high was 42 with a low of 34, a warm day also. In 1964 the high was 55 with a low of 37, yet another warm day. In 1963 the high was 19 with a cold low of -6, a cold day. In 1961 the high was 10 with a low of -7, another cold day. In 1959 the high was 8 with a low of -5, yet another cold day.

More recently, we had small spreads of two degrees in 1998 (33/31), four degrees in 1988 (29/25), six degrees in 1995 (22/16) and six degrees in 2007 (31/25).

On the cold side, in 2003 the high was 14 with a low of 3. In the following year, 2004, the high was 19 with a low of 3. In 1991 the high was 26 with a low of -3. The record low of -17 was most recently set back in 1936 (also way back in 1883) and the record coldest high of -4 was set way back in 1883. 31 of the last 32 lows (97%) have been: single digits (6), 10s (a.k.a. teens)(9), 20s (7) and 30s (9). Even colder, one low was in the negative single digits (the -3 in 1991).

A note about yesterday: it was very cold in the morning. Lows were: Marengo: -12, DeKalb: -11, McHenry: -10, Aurora: -9, Rockford: -9, Barrington: -8, Elgin: -7, West Chicago: -7, Waukeegan: -6, O'Hare: -4, Wheeling: -3 and Midway: -1. Marengo and McHenry are not far from Crystal Lake.

Today is a major day in O'Hare's snow history. In 2005, 6.2 inches fell. This was the third day of a four day, 12.7 inch period of snow. Along with the 9.8 inches that fell earlier on January 4-6, this comprised 22.5 inches or 81% of the month's total of 27.8 inches.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:45 and sunrise is at 7:16. Sunset is at 16:55 and twilight ends at 17:25. There's a total of 9 hours, 39 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 40 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:44 and sunrise is at 7:15. The moon reached the full Wolf or Old moon three days ago at 15:21 and is waning gibbous. Illumination was 92% at midnight, will be 89% at noon and 85% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 8:36 this morning. Moonrise is at 20:49 tonight. Moonset is at 9:05 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 47 minutes which is 46 minutes less than yesterday.

National Freedom Day is in ten days and Groundhog Day is in 11 days. -Bernie-