February 3: ORD

Today is February 3rd. It's the 34th day of the year. 331 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 32 and 16.

On the warm side, in 1992 the high was the record high of 59 with a low of 27, a 32 degree spread. A year earlier, in 1991, the high was 50 with a low of 34. In 1999 the high was 46 with a low of 35. Four years later, in 2003, the high was 45 with a low of 32. Three years after that, in 2006, the high was 44 with a low of 32. Other warm highs were 46 in 1993 and 44 in 2005. Other warm lows were 30 (1984, 1986) and 29 (1990, 2000). The record warmest low of 37 was set way back in 1890. 25 of the last 32 highs (78%) were: 20s (7), 30s (11) and 40s (7). On the warmer side, two highs were in the 50s. On the cold side, four highs were 10s (a.k.a. teens) and one was in the negative single digits. There have been no highs in the single digits.

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 31 with a warm low of 28, a three degree spread. In 1976 the high was 31 with a cold low of -5, a 36 degree spread. In 1973 the high was 42 with a warm low of 31, a warm day. In 1970 the high was 2 with a low of -6, a cold day. In 1967 the high was 26 with a low of 20, a six degree spread. In 1965 the high was 6 with a low of -9, a cold one. In 1963 the high was 15 with a low of -8, another cold one. In 1962 the high was 36 with a warm low of 29, a seven degree spread.

More recently, there were small spreads of four degrees in 1986 (34/30), six degrees in 1984 (36/30), six degrees in 1990 (35/29) and seven degrees three years ago (32/25).

On the cold side, in 1996 the high was the record coldest high of -5 with the record low of -19. In 1985 the high was 15 with a low of -12. In 2007 the high was 11 with a low of -6. In 1981 the high was 10 with a low of -5. In 1994 the high was 19 with a low of 1. Two years ago the high was 20 with a low of 1. Other cold lows were 2 in 1980 and 4 in 1989. 28 of the last 32 lows (88%) were in the: single digits (6), 10s (a.k.a. teens) (6), 20s (10) and 30s (6). On the cold side, two lows were in the very cold negative 10s (a.k.a. negative teens) and two lows were in the negative single digits.

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. These happened just five years apart from each other a long time ago and both at the Auditorium Tower. In 1896, 11.0 inches fell and in 1901, 10.8 inches fell. Nearly identical amounts.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:35 and sunrise is at 7:05. Sunset is at 17:10 and twilight ends at 17:40. There's a total of 10 hours, 5 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 5 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:34 and sunrise is at 7:04. The moon is waxing crescent, having passed new last night at 20:31. Illumination was 0% at midnight, will be 1% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 7:05 this morning. Moonset is at 18:06 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 7:29 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 1 minute which is 34 minutes longer than yesterday.

Lincoln's Birthday is in nine days. -Bernie-