February 13: ORD

Today is February 13th. It's the 44th day of the year. 321 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 33 and 18.

On the warm side, in 1984 the high was 54 with the record warmest low of 40. In 1990 the high was 54 with a low of 28. In 2005 the high was 41 with a low of 35, a six degree spread. Other warm lows were 31 in both 1998 and 2001. The record high of 63 was set back in 1938. 25 of the last 32 highs (78%) were in the: 20s (9) and 30s (16). On the warmer side, six highs were in the: 40s (4) and 50s (2). On the cold side, one high was in the 10s (a.k.a. teens).

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1976 the high was a warm 47. In 1975 the high was 18 with a low of 4, a cold day. In 1972 the high was 35 with a low of 29, a six degree spread. In 1970 the high was a cold 19 with a low of 7, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 23 with a cold low of -2, a cold day. In 1961 the high was 47 with a low of 33, a warm day. In 1959 the high was 37 with a warm low of 33, a four degree spread.

More recently, there were small spreads of two degrees in 2000 (31/29), seven degrees in three years: 1979 (24/17), 1992 (34/27) and 2001 (38/31).

On the cold side, in 1988 the high was 19 with a low of -5. Two years earlier, in 1986, the high was 21 with a low of -6. Three years ago the high was 21 with a low of 7. In 1982 the high was 25 with a low of 3. Another cold low was 5 in 1981. The record low of -18 and record coldest high of -4 were set on the same day back in 1905. 22 of the last 32 lows (69%) were in the: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (13) and 20s (9). Even colder, six lows were in the: negative single digits (2) and single digits (4). On the warmer side, three lows were in the 30s and one was a 40 (the warmest low we've seen at 40 in 1984).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 2007, 8.8 inches fell. This was the second 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 6:24 and sunrise is at 6:53. Sunset is at 17:23 and twilight ends at 17:52. There's a total of 10 hours, 30 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 28 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:22 and sunrise is at 6:51. The moon reached first quarter two mornings ago at 1:18. Illumination was 69% at midnight, will be 74% at noon and 79% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 3:06 this morning. Moonrise is at 12:17 this afternoon. Moonset is at 3:59 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 49 minutes which is four minutes longer than yesterday and is at it's peak.

Valentine's Day is tomorrow. Susan B. Anthony Day is in two days. -Bernie-