March 28: ORD

Today is March 28th. It's the 87th day of the year. 278 days remain. It's week 13 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 51 and the normal low is 32. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 53 and 35.

On the warm side, in 1986 the high was the record high of 79 with a low of 43, a 36 degree spread. Three years later, in 1989, the high was 68 with a low of 54. In 2004 the high was 74 with a low of 48. In 1981 the high was 78 with a low of 42, a 36 degree spread. In 1998 the high was 65 with a low of 49. The year before, in 1997, the high was 62 with a low of 48. Another warm low was 44 in 2007. The record warmest low of 57 occurred back in 1910. 22 of the last 32 highs (69%) were in the: 40s (11) and 50s (11). On the warmer side, eight highs (25%) were in the: 60s (5) and 70s (3). On the cold side, two highs (6%) were in the 30s. The only 30s highs occurred two years ago (in 2009) and in 1983. Both were 38 degrees.

In looking back through the years to the first March at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 62 with a warm low of 50, a warm day. In 1975 the high was a cold 38 with a low of 34, a four degree spread. In 1974 the high was 40 with a low of 36, a four degree spread. In 1970 the high was 30 with a low of 15, a cold day. In 1968 the high was 78 with a low of 52, a warm day. In 1966 the low was a cold 20 degrees. In 1965 the high was 39 with a low of 19, a cold day. In 1964 the high was 34 with a low of 18, another cold day. In 1962 the high was was 69 with a low of 48, a warm day. In 1960 the high was 42 with a low of 35, a seven degree spread.

More recently, we had small spreads of six degrees in 1995 (44/38), six degrees in 2007 (50/44), six degrees two years ago (in 2009) (38/32) and seven degrees in 1980 (44/37). There were large spreads of 31 degrees in 1979 (59/28) and 33 degrees in 2005 (60/27).

On the cold side, in 1983 the high was 38 with a low of 26. In the prior year, 1982, the high was 45 with a low of 21. Another cold high was 38 degrees two years ago in 2009. The record low of 9 and record coldest high of 23 were set on the same day way back in 1887. 25 of the last 32 lows (78%) were in the: 20s (9) and 30s (16). Seven lows (22%) were in the warmer: 40s (6) and 50s (1).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1970 at O'Hare, this was the fifth of five days in which 11.8 inches fell. Today 1.0 inches fell.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:15 and sunrise is at 6:43. Sunset is at 19:14 and twilight ends at 19:43. There's a total of 12 hours, 31 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 28 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:13 and sunrise is at 6:42. The moon reached last quarter two mornings ago at 7:07 and is waning crescent. Illumination was 33% at midnight, will be 28% at noon and 24% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 3:42 this morning. Moonset is at 13:50 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 4:12 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 8 minutes which is 27 minutes longer than yesterday.

April Fool's Day is four days. The warm part of Spring (Warm Spring) begins in 16 days on April 13. Warm Spring runs for 52 days, through June 3. High temperatures in this period are usually in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Warmer 80s and 90s occur infrequently. -Bernie-