January 25: ORD

Today is January 25th. It's the 25th day of the year. 340 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 14.

On the warm side, in 1981 the high was 51 with a low of 37. Eight years later, in 1989, the high was 49 with a low of 37. In 2002 the high was 50 with a low of 27. Another warm high was 43 in 2005. Another warm low was 26 in 1994. The record high of 67 was set in 1950 and record warmest low of 45 was set back in 1916. 23 of the last 32 highs (72%) were: 20s (9) and 30s (14). On the warmer side, two highs were in the 40s and two were in the 50s. On the cold side, five 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 1974 the high was 48 with a low of 29, a warm day. In 1973 the high was 54 with a low of 31, another warm day. In 1972 the high was 9 with a low of 1, a cold day. In 1971 the high was a warm 44 with a low of 10, a 34 degree spread. In 1970 the high was 39 with a warm low of 32, a seven degree spread and warm day. In 1969 the high was a cold 12 with a low of 3, a cold day. In 1967 the high was 51 with a low of 30, a warm, pre-blizzard day. In 1963 the high was 8 with a low of -9, a cold day. In 1961 the high was 16 with a low of -8, a cold one. In 1959 the high was 26 with a low of 19, a seven degree spread.

More recently, there were no small spreads, unusual for any day. In 1988 the spread was 31 degrees as the high was 29 with a low of -2.

On the cold side, in 1982 the high was 10 with a low of -1. Two years ago the high was 13 with a low of -2. Three years ago the high was 20 with a low of -5. In 1991 the high was 16 with a low of -1. Four years earlier, in 1987, the high was 19 with a low of -1. Other cold lows were -2 in 1988, -1 in 1985 and 1 in 1997. Another cold high was 18 in 1979. The record low of -20 and record coldest high of -10 were set on the same day way back in 1897. 18 of the last 32 lows (56%) have been: 10s (8) and 20s (10). 12 lows were in the cold: negative single digits (7) and single digits (5). Two lows were in the warmer 30s. Through Winter 2010-11, this is the average thirteenth coldest day of the year.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:43 and sunrise is at 7:13. Sunset is at 16:58 and twilight ends at 17:29. There's a total of 9 hours, 45 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 46 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:42 and sunrise is at 7:12. The moon is waning gibbous, heading towards the last quarter tomorrow morning at 6:57. Illumination was 65% at midnight, will be 59% at noon and 53% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 10:04 this morning. Moonrise is at 31 minutes past midnight tonight. Moonset is at 10:38 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 4 minutes which is 12 minutes less than yesterday.

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