February 2: ORD

Today is February 2nd. It's the 33rd day of the year. 332 days remain. It's week 5 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 31 and the normal low is 16. The 32-year averages are 31 and 17.

On the warm side, in 1991 the high was 49 with a low of 30. Four years earlier, in 1987, the high was 50 with a low of 25. Five years later, in 1992, the high was the record high of 51 with a low of 24. In 1999 the high was 42 with a low of 33. Four years after that, in 2003, the high was 39 with a low of 34, a five degree spread. In 1997 the high was 42 with a low of 29. In 2006 the high was 43 with a low of 27. A couple of decades earlier, in 1986, the high was 37 with a low of 32, a five degree spread. Another warm high was 45 in 1984. Other warm lows were 31 in 1995 and 29 in 1990. The record warmest low of 38 was set way back in 1877. 25 of the last 32 highs (78%) were in the: 20s (6), 30s (13) and 40s (6). On the warmer side, two highs were in the 50s. On the cold side, five highs were in the: negative single digits (1), single digits (1) and 10s (a.k.a. teens) (3).

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 16 with a low of 3, a cold day. In 1977 the low was a cold 4 degrees. In 1976 the high was 7 with a low of -13, a cold day. In 1974 the high was 30 with a warm low of 28, a two degree spread. In 1973 the high was 46 with a low of 34, a warm day. In 1972 the high was 33 with a warm low of 29, a four degree spread. In 1971 the high was 18 with a low of -10, a cold day. In 1970 the high was 41 with a cold low of 1, a 40 degree spread. In 1967 the high was 27 with a low of 20, a seven degree spread. In 1965 the high was 0 with a low of -14, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 35 with a cold low of -1, a 36 degree spread. In 1961 the high was a cold 17 with a low of 11, a six degree spread. In 1960 the high was 29 with a low of 24, a five degree spread. In 1959 the high was 16 with a low of -9, a cold day.

More recently, there were small spreads of two degrees in 1990 (31/29), four degrees in 1995 (35/31), five degrees three years ago (30/25), seven degrees in 1989 (28/21) and seven degrees last year (32/25).

On the cold side, in 1996 the high was the record coldest high of -5 with the record low of -16. In 1985 the high was 7 with a low of -11. In 2001 the high was 12 with a low of -2. In 2007 the high was 12 with a low of 6. In 1981 the high was 19 with a low of 0. A year earlier, in 1980, the high was 22 with a low of -3. 19 of the last 32 lows (59%) have been: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (8) and 20s (11). On the cold side, eight lows (25%) were in the: negative 10s (2), negative single digits (2) and single digits (4). Five lows were in the warmer 30s.

Today is not a major day in O'Hare's snow history. Until TODAY!

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:36 and sunrise is at 7:06. Sunset is at 17:09 and twilight ends at 17:38. There's a total of 10 hours, 3 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 2 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:35 and sunrise is at 7:05. The moon is new tonight at 20:31. Illumination was 1% at midnight, will be 0% at noon and 0% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 6:37 this morning. Moonset is at 17:04 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 7:05 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 27 minutes which is 32 minutes longer than yesterday.

Groundhog Day is today. Lincoln's Birthday is in ten days. -Bernie-