February 25: ORD

Today is February 25th. It's the 56th day of the year. 309 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 38 and the normal low is 22. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 38 and 22.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was the record high of 72 with a low of 38, a 34 degree spread. The former record high of 66 occurred in 1932. Four years earlier, in 1996, the high was 59 with a low of 33. Two years ago, in 2009, the high was 54 with a low of 35. In 2002 the high was 52 with a low of 32. Four years before that, in 1998, the high was 52 with a low of 31. Three years later, in 2001, the high was 55 with a low of 28. The record warmest low of 52 occurred in 1957. 12 of the last 32 highs (38%) were in the 30s. On the warmer side, 12 highs (37%) were in the: 40s (6), 50s (5), 60s (0) and 70s (1). On the cold side, eight highs (25%) were in the: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (1) and 20s (7).

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 40 with a low of 33, a seven degree spread. In 1976 the high was 65 with a low of 46, a warm day. In 1974 the high was 27 with a cold low of 8, a cold day. In 1973 the high was 36 with a low of 30, a six degree spread. In 1971 the high was a warm 56 with a low of 29, a warm day. In 1969 the high was 38 with a low of 31, a seven degree spread. In 1967 the high was 11 with a low of -8, a cold day. In 1965 the high was 21 with a low of 10, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 22 with a low of 3, a cold day. In 1961 the high was 32 with a low of 25, a seven degree spread. In 1960 the high was 28 with a low of 25, a three degree spread.

More recently, we had spreads of three degrees in 1992 (35/32), three degrees in 2008 (34/31), six degrees in 1979 (28/22), six degrees in 1985 (38/32), and seven degrees in 2007 (38/31).

On the cold side, in 2003 the high was 17 with a low of -2. A decade earlier, in 1993, the high was 21 with a low of -2. Three years earlier, in 1990, the high was 21 with a low of 2. A decade earlier, in 1980, the high was 29 with a low of 8. Another cold low was 7 in 1994. The record low of -9 and record coldest high of 10 occurred on the same cold day way back in 1900. 27 of the last 32 lows (84%) were in the: 10s (a.k.a. teens) (8), 20s (9) and 30s (10). Five lows were in the cold: single digits (3) and negative single digits (2).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1994, 6.7 inches fell. This was the fourth of four days in which 16.1 inches fell. In 1965, 1.5 inches fell. This was the third of three days in which 10.0 inches fell.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:07 and sunrise is at 6:35. Sunset is at 17:38 and twilight ends at 18:06. There's a total of 11 hours, 3 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 59 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:05 and sunrise is at 6:34. The moon reached last quarter yesterday at 17:26 and is waning crescent. Illumination was 47% at midnight, will be 42% at noon and 37% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 1:44 this morning. Moonset is at 10:54 this morning. Moonrise is at 2:40 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 10 minutes which is 12 minutes shorter than yesterday.

Mardi Gras is in 11 days. Ash Wednesday is in 12 days. The cool part of Spring (Cool Spring) begins in 15 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-