February 12: ORD

Today is February 12th. It's the 43rd day of the year. 322 days remain. It's week 7 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 34 and the normal low is 18. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 31 and 16.

On the warm side, in 1984 the high was the record high of 62 with a low of 45. The record high of 62 was originally set way back in 1882. In 2005 the high was 51 with a low of 33. In 1990 the high was 54 with a low of 23. Other warm lows were 31 in 1998 and 30 two years ago. The record warmest low of 50 was set way back in 1882. Overall, the warmest February 12 occurred in 1882. 23 of the last 32 highs (72%) were in the: 20s (9) and 30s (14). On the warmer side, five highs were in the: 40s (2), 50s (2) and 60s (1). On the cold side, four highs were in the 10s (a.k.a. teens). In the 52 year history of O'Hare, only four highs were 50 degrees or higher. This is only 8% of the years which is on average once every 13 years.

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 45 with a warm low of 36, a warm day. In 1976 the high was 56 with a low of 38, a warm day. In 1974 the high was a warm 47 with a low of 28, another warm day. In 1972 the low was a warm 30 degrees. In 1970 and 1968, the highs were a cold 22 degrees. In 1967 the high was 20 with a low of -17, a 37 degree spread and cold day. In 1966 the high was a warm 48 degrees. In 1963 the high was 22 with a low of -9, a 31 degree spread and cold day. In 1962 the high was 35 with a warm low of 31, a four degree spread. In 1960 the high was 19 with a low of 6, a cold day.

More recently, there were small spreads of three degrees in 1979 (22/19), four degrees in 1993 (31/27), six degrees in 2007 (31/25) and seven degrees in 2006 (30/23).

On the cold side, in 1981 the high was 12 with a low of -11. Five years later, in 1986, the high was 11 with a low of -4. In 1995 the high was 16 with a low of -2. In 1988 the high was 17 with a low of -1. In 2003 the high was 21 with a low of 4. In 1980 the high was 23 with a low of 4. Other cold highs were 22 in both 1979 and 2008. The record low of -17 and record coldest high of 3 were set on the same day way back in 1899. 21 of the last 32 lows (66%) were in the: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (14) and 20s (7). Even colder, seven lows were in the: negative 10s (1), negative single digits (3) and single digits (3). On the warmer side, three lows were in the 30s and one was in the 40s (45 in 1984).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 2007, 1.4 inches fell. This was the first day of a three day, 11.6 inch storm.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:25 and sunrise is at 6:54. Sunset is at 17:22 and twilight ends at 17:51. There's a total of 10 hours, 28 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 26 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:24 and sunrise is at 6:53. The moon reached first quarter yesterday morning at 1:18. Illumination was 60% at midnight, will be 64% at noon and 69% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 2:08 this morning. Moonrise is at 11:23 this morning. Moonset is at 3:06 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 45 minutes which is 15 minutes longer than yesterday.

Lincoln's Birthday is today. Valentine's Day is in two days. Susan B. Anthony Day is in three days. -Bernie-