January 3: ORD

Today is January 3rd. It's the 3rd day of the year. 362 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 18.

On the warm side, in 1998 the high was the near-record high of 58 with a low of 35. The record high of 60 was first set way back in 1874 and most recently in 1950. In 2004 the high was 52 with a low of 30. In 1993 the high was 46 with a low of 35. In 2006 the high was 42 with a low of 39, a three degree spread. The year after, 2007, the high was 48 with a low of 33. Ten years before that, in 1997, the high was 45 with a low of 35. In 1990 the high was 44 with a low of 33. Two years later, in 1992, the high was 41 with a low of 36, a five degree spread. In 2000 the high was 38 with a low of 32, a six degree spread. Other warm lows were 32 in 2005, 30 in 1982 and 28 in 1980 and 1994. The record warmest low of 46 was set way back in 1874. 26 of the past 32 highs (81%) were in the: 20s (8), 30s (11) and 40s (7). On the warm side, two highs were in the 50s. On the cold side, four highs were in the: single digits (1) and 10s (a.k.a. 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 18 with a low of 2, a cold day. In 1975 the high was 36 with a warm low of 31, a five degree spread. In 1974 the low was a cold 3 degrees. In 1970 the high was a cold 18 degrees. In 1969 the high was 20 with a cold low of -5, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 20 with a cold low of 3 degrees. In 1967 the low was also a cold 3 degrees. In 1964 the high was 38 with a warm low of 31, a seven degree spread and warm day. In 1963 the high was 32 with a low of 26, a six degree spread. In 1962 the high was 42 with a low of 30, a warm day. In 1961 the low was a cold 1 degree. In 1959 the high was 21 with a cold low of -1, a cold day.

More recently, we had small spreads of three degrees in 1980 (31/28), four degrees in 1994 (32/28), four degrees in 2005 (36/32) and five degrees in 1982 (35/30).

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was 4 with a low of -15. In 1991 the high was 16 with a low of -2. In 1985 the high was 20 with a low of -6. Last year the high was 18 with a low of -1. In 1981 the high was 22 with a low of -5. In 1995 the high was 18 with a low of 3. Three years ago the high was 23 with a low of 0. 11 of the last 32 lows (34%) were in the 30s. 12 lows (38%) were in the cold: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (7) and 20s (5). Nine lows (28%) were in the very cold: negative 10s (a.k.a. negative teens) (1), negative single digits (4) and single digits (4).

Today is a major snow day in O'Hare's history. In 1999, an inch fell. This was the third day of a three day, 21.6 inch storm. 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 17:05. There's a total of 9 hours, 11 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 14 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 and will be new tomorrow morning at 03:03. Illumination was 1% at midnight, will be 0% at noon and 0% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 6:48 this morning. Moonset is at 16:04 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 16 minutes which is nine minutes longer than yesterday.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is in 14 days. -Bernie-