January 8: ORD

Today is January 8th. It's the 8th day of the year. 357 days remain. It's week 2 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 29 and the normal low is 14. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 30 and 15.

On the warm side, three years ago, in 2008, the high was 56 with a low of 37. Five years prior, in 2003, the high was 54 with a low of 37. In 1992 the high was 44 with a low of 35. In 2006 the high was 45 with a low of 32. In 1990 the high was 47 with a low of 28. A decade later, in 2000, the high was 45 with a low of 29. Two years before, in 1998, the high was 35 with a low of 32, a three degree spread. Another warm high was 41 in 2002. Other warm lows were 26 in both 1983 and 2007. The record high of 63 was set in 1965 at Midway and the record warmest low of 45 was set way back in 1876 at Madison & LaSalle in Chicago. 19 of the last 32 highs (59%) were: 20s (12) and 30s (7). On the warmer side, seven highs were: 40s (5) and 50s (2). On the cold side, six highs were: single digits (2) and 10s (aka teens) (4).

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 35 with a cold low of 2, a 33 degree spread. In 1977 the high was 19 with a low of 1, a cold day. In 1976 the high was 4 with a low of -9, a cold day. In 1975 the high was 43 with a low of 35, a warm day. In 1974 the high was 21 with a cold low of 2, a cold day. In 1972 the high was a warm 43 degrees. In 1971 the high was 26 with a cold low of -1, a cold day. In 1970 the high was 0 with a low of -4, a four degree spread and cold day. 1970 was also the year of the record coldest high, also 0. In 1968 the high was 15 with a low of -6, a cold day. In 1966 the high was 20 with a cold low of 1, a cold day. In 1965 the high was a warm 60 with a low of 17, a 43 degree spread and warm day. A high in the 60s is a rarity in January. This day, in 1965, was the day of the record high of 63 at Midway. In 1963 the high was 43 with a low of 30, a warm day. In 1962 the high was 17 with a low of -1, a cold day.

More recently, we had a small spreads of three degrees in 2005 (27/24) and seven degrees in 1987 (32/25).

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was 6 with the near-record low of -10. The record low of -11 was most recently set in 1942 at the University of Chicago. The low was also -11 in 1875. In 1994 the high was 9 with a low of -6. In 1986 the high was 17 with a low of -8. Two years later, in 1988, the high was 19 with a low of -3. In 1982 the high was 20 with a low of -3. Another cold high was 17 in 1980. The record coldest high of 0 was set in 1970 at Midway. The high was also 0 at O'Hare in 1970. 22 of the last 32 lows (69%) were: single digits (7), 10s (aka teens) (7) and 20s (8). Five lows were in the cold: negative 10s (aka negative teens) (1) and negative single digits (4). Five lows were in the warmer 30s. Through Winter 2010-11, this is the average eleventh coldest day of the year.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:22. Sunset is at 16:38 and twilight ends at 17:10. There's a total of 9 hours, 16 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 20 minutes between twilights. We are gaining a minute of daylight per day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:22. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 14% at midnight, will be 18% at noon and 21% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 9:25 this morning. Moonset is at 21:17 tonight. Moonrise is at 9:47 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 52 minutes which is 37 minutes longer than yesterday.

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