February 19: ORD

Today is February 19th. It's the 50th day of the year. 315 days remain. It's week 8 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 36 and the normal low is 20. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 39 and 23.

On the warm side, in 1994 the high was 60 with the record warmest low of 51. In 1981 the high was 61 with a low of 33. Two years later, in 1983, the high was 55 with a low of 33. In 2002 the high was 46 with a low of 38, our most recent 30s low. Four years earlier, in 1998, the high was 43 with a low of 37, a spread of six degrees. In 1984 the high was 47 with a low of 32. Another warm high was 48 in 1997. The record high of 65 was set back in 1930. There were three other warm lows: 34 in 1992, 33 in 1980 and 32 degrees in 1986. 18 of the last 32 highs (56%) were in the 40s. On the warmer side, one high was in the 50s and two were in the 60s. On the cold side, 11 highs (34%) were in the: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (2), 20s (3) and 30s (6). Our most recent 30s high was 33 in 2000.

February 17 this year was the warmest Feb. 17th of the past 33 years. Although the high of 56 fell two degrees short of 1981's 58, the low was a record-setting 47 degrees which was 8 degrees warmer than 1981's 39 degrees. That low of 47 broke the former record warmest low by five degrees (42, set way back in 1890). February 16, 2011 was the second warmest Feb. 16 behind 1981. In 1981 the high was 52 with a low of 38. This year the high was 49 with a low of 37.

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 22 with a low of -4, a cold day. In 1973 the high was 35 with a low of 31, a four degree spread. In 1971 the high was 56 with a low of 38, a warm day. In 1970 the high was 22 with a low of 3, a cold day. In 1966 the high was 20 with a low of 1, a cold day. In 1964 the high was 35 with a low of 29, a six degree spread. In 1963 the high was 36 with a low of 29, a seven degree spread. In 1960 the high was 19 with a low of 7, a cold day. In 1959 the high was 10 with a low of -2, another cold day.

More recently, there were small spreads of six degrees in 1982 (36/30), seven degrees in 1980 (40/33) and seven degrees in 1992 (41/34).

On the cold side, in 1979 the high was 15 with a low of -9. That low of -9 is colder than the official record low of -7 which was set in 1936. Three years ago, in 2008, the high was 14 with a low of 4. In 2006 the high was 20 with a low of 1. In 1993 the high was 24 with a low of 5. Another cold high was 23 two years ago in 2009. The record coldest high of 9 was set in 1936 (the same year as the record low). 27 of the last 32 lows (84%) were in the: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (6), 20s (10) and 30s (11). Our most recent 30s low was 38 in 2002. On the cold side, four lows were in the: negative single digits (1) and single digits (3). On the warmer side, one low was in the 50s.

Today is a not a major day in Chicago's snow history.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:16 and sunrise is at 6:44. Sunset is at 17:31 and twilight ends at 17:59. There's a total of 10 hours, 47 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 43 minutes between twilights. We gained four minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:14 and sunrise is at 6:43. The moon is waning gibbous and was full yesterday morning at 2:36 as the full Snow or Hunger moon. Illumination was 99% at midnight, will be 97% at noon and 94% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 7:03 this morning. Moonrise is at 19:41 tonight. Moonset is at 7:33 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 22 minutes which is 48 minutes shorter than yesterday.

President's Day is in two days and Washington's Birthday is in three days. -Bernie-