February 22: ORD

Today is February 22nd. It's the 53rd day of the year. 312 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. ORD has been the official site of record for Chicago since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 37 and the normal low is 21. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 39 and 26.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was 59 with a low of 39 (our most recent 30s low). In 1984 the high was 60 with a low of 32. In 1998 the high was 50 with a low of 37. In 1981 the high was 48 with a low of 37. Four years later, in 1985, the high was 46 with a low of 39, a seven degree spread. In 1992 the high was 50 with a low of 34. Another warm high was 49 in 1982. Other warm lows were 34 in 1980 and 33 in 1983. The record high of 68 was set back in 1922 and the record warmest low of 52 occurred back in 1930. 22 of the last 32 highs (69%) were in the: 30s (10) and 40s (12). On the warmer side, four highs were in the: 50s (3) and 60s (1). On the cold side, six highs were in the 20s. Today is the mean date for our first 60s high over the past 32 years.

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 25 with a low of 3, a cold day. In 1977 the high was 53 with a low of 33, a warm day. In 1975 the low was a warm 34 degrees. In 1970 the high was 50 with a low of 33, a warm day. In 1969 the high was 41 with a warm low of 35, a six degree spread. In 1968 the high was 32 with a cold low of 1, a 31 degree spread and cold day. In 1967 the low was a cold 9 degrees. In 1966 the low was a cold 8 degrees. In 1965 the high was 15 with a low of 1, a cold day. In 1964 the high was 31 with a cold low of 2 degrees, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 19 with a low of -8, a cold day. In 1961 the high was a warm 50 with a low of 25.

More recently, there were small spreads of four degrees: (1980: 38/34 and 2010: 33/29), five degrees (1993: 24/19 and 1994: 29/24), six degrees three years ago in 2008 (27/21) and seven degrees in 1996 (39/32).

On the cold side, in 1989 the high was 24 with a low of 10. Two years ago, in 2009, the high was 24 with a low of 13. Another cold high was 24 in 1993. The record low of -14 was set way back in 1873 and the record coldest high of 8 occurred back in 1901. 26 of the last 32 lows (81%) were in the: 20s (14) and 30s (12). Our most recent 30s low was 39 in 2000. Six lows were in the 10s (a.k.a. teens).

There was a big contrast in the back-to-back years of 1988 and 1989. In 1988 the high was 48 with a low of 32, 11 degrees above normal. In 1989 the high was 24 with a low of 10, 12 degrees below normal.

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1994, 4 inches fell. This was the first day of a four day stretch in which 16.1 inches fell.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:11 and sunrise is at 6:40. Sunset is at 17:34 and twilight ends at 18:03. There's a total of 10 hours, 54 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 52 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:10 and sunrise is at 6:38. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 79% at midnight, will be 74% at noon and 69% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 8:39 this morning. Moonrise is at 23:29 tonight. Moonset is at 9:17 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 10 minutes which is 39 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Washington's Birthday is today. Mardi Gras is in 14 days. Ash Wednesday is in 15 days. The cool part of Spring (Cool Spring) begins in 18 days on March 12. Cool Spring runs for 32 days, through April 12. High temperatures in this period are usually in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Warmer 60s and 70s occur infrequently. -Bernie-