January 24: ORD

Today is January 24th. It's the 24th day of the year. 341 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 30 and 17.

On the warm side, in 1981 the high was 53 with a low of 28. In 1990 the high was 45 with a low of 33. Last year the high was 46 with a low of 30. In 1989 the high was 43 with a low of 32. In 2002 the high was 40 with a low of 32. In 1984 the high was 39 with a low of 30. A decade later, in 1994, the high was 37 with a low of 32, a five degree spread. In 2006 the high was 40 with a low of 29. Other warm lows were 31 in 1983, 31 in 1999, 27 in 1997 and 26 in 1986. The record high of 65 and record warmest low of 44 were set on the same day in 1967. This was the pre-blizzard period of 1967. 19 of the last 32 highs (59%) were: 20s (7) and 30s (12). On the warmer side, six highs (19%) were in the: 40s (5) and 50s (1). On the cold side, seven highs (22%) were in the: single digits (2) and 10s (a.k.a. teens) (5).

In looking back through the years to the first January at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 30 with a warm low of 27, a three degree spread. In 1976 the high was 34 with a warm low of 27, a seven degree spread. in 1975 the high was 43 with a low of 31, a warm day. In 1974 the high was 43 with a low of 29, another warm day. In 1972 the high was a warm 43 with a low of 9, a 34 degree spread. In 1971 the high was 41 with a warm low of 26, a warm day. In 1967 the high was 61 with a low of 39, a warm day, year of the record high and record warmest low and pre-blizzard day. In 1966 the high was 11 with a low of -11, a cold day. In 1964 the high was a warm 60 with a low of 25, a 35 degree spread and warm day. In 1963 the high was 4 with a low of -12, a cold day. In 1961 the high was 11 with a low of -2, another cold day. In 1959 the high was 38 with a low of 6, a 32 degree spread.

More recently, we had small spreads of two degrees in 1983 (33/31), four degrees in 1999 (35/31), five degrees in 1985 (27/22), six degrees in 2007 (28/22) and seven degrees in 1998 (31/24).

On the cold side, in 1982 the high was 3 with a low of -3, a six degree spread. Five years later, in 1987, the high was 9 with a low of -5. Three years ago the high was 10 with a low of -4. Two years ago the high was 13 with a low of -1. In 2000 the high was 15 with a low of -3. In 1991 the high was 14 with a low of 2. In 2003 the high was 16 with a low of 2. The record low of -15 was set way back in 1897 and record coldest high of -2 was set way back in 1904. 17 of the last 32 lows (53%) were in the: 20s (9) and 30s (8). 15 lows (47%) were in the cold: negative single digits (5), single digits (5) and 10s (a.k.a. teens) (5).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:44 and sunrise is at 7:14. Sunset is at 16:57 and twilight ends at 17:27. There's a total of 9 hours, 43 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 43 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:43 and sunrise is at 7:13. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 75% at midnight, will be 70% at noon and 65% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 9:33 this morning. Moonrise is at 23:17 tonight. Moonset is at 10:04 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 16 minutes which is 46 minutes less than yesterday.

National Freedom Day is in eight days and Groundhog Day is in nine days. -Bernie-