January 9: ORD

Today is January 9th. It's the 9th day of the year. 356 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. The 32-year averages are 29 and 16.

On the warm side, in 2002 the high was 55 with a low of 38. Two years prior, in 2000, the high was 41 with a low of 37, a four degree spread. A decade earlier, in 1990, the high was 42 with a low of 34. Two years later, in 1992, the high was 44 with a low of 32. In 2003 the high was 45 with a low of 28. Three years later, in 2006, the high was 38 with a low of 33, a five degree spread. Three years ago, in 2008, the high was 39 with a low of 30. Twenty-five years earlier, in 1983, the high was 43 with a low of 24. Another warm low was 26 in 2005. The record high of 60 was set way back in 1880 and the record warmest low of 45 was set in 1939. 20 of the last 32 highs (62%) were: 20s (11) and 30s (9). On the warmer side, six highs (19%) were in the warmer: 40s (5) and 50s (1). On the cold side, six highs (19%) 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 3 with a low of -5, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 19 with a cold low of 0, a cold day. In 1976 the high was 11 with a low of 0, another cold day. In 1975 the high was 42 with a low of 33, a warm day. In 1973 the high was a cold 13 with a low of 3, a cold day. In 1972 the high was 44 with a low of 35, a warm day. In 1970 the high was 15 with a low of -1, a cold day. In 1969 the low was a cold 2 degrees. In 1966 the high was a warm 43. In 1963 the high was 40 with a warm low of 33, a seven degree spread and a warm day. In 1962 the high was -1 with a low of -13, another cold day and year of the record coldest high. In 1960 the low was a warm 26 degrees.

More recently, we had a small spreads of four degrees in 1997 (28/24) and seven degrees in 1993 (28/21).

On the cold side, in 1982 the high was 7 with a low of -19. Six years later, in 1988, the high was 7 with a low of -8. In 1999 the high was 12 with a low of -4. Two decades earlier, in 1979, the high was 16 with a low of -3. Fifteen years later, in 1994, the high was 24 with a low of -7, a 31 degree spread. The record low of -20 was set way back in 1875 and the record coldest high of 0 was set in 1962. 17 of the last 32 lows (53%) were: 10s (9) and 20s (8). Nine lows (28%) were in the cold: negative single digits (4), single digits (4) and that one low of -19 (what I call "the negative 10s," aka negative teens). Six highs (19%) were in the warm 30s. Through Winter 2010-11, this is the average fifteenth coldest day of the year.

Today is a major snow day in northern Illinois. Back in 1930 at Rockford, 10 inches of snow accumulated.

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 16:39 and twilight ends at 17:11. There's a total of 9 hours, 17 minutes of daylight today and 10 hours, 21 minutes between twilights. We are gaining a minute of daylight per day. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:50 and sunrise is at 7:21. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 21% at midnight, will be 25% at noon and 30% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 9:47 this morning. Moonset is at 22:16 tonight. Moonrise is at 10:09 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 29 minutes which is 37 minutes longer than yesterday.

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