April 22: ORD

Today is April 22nd. It's the 112th day of the year. 253 days remain. It's week 16 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 61 and the normal low is 40. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 61 and 41.

On the warm side, in 1980 the high was the record high of 91 with a low of 58, a 33 degree spread. Five years later, in 1985, the high was 83 with the record warmest low of 66. The former record warmest low of 62 occurred way back in 1885. In 2007 the high was 83 with a low of 52, a 31 degree spread. Six years before that, in 2001, the high was 78 with a low of 51. Other warm highs were 74 three years ago (in 2008) and 73 in 1990. 21 of the last 32 highs (66%) were in the: 50s (9) and 60s (12). Our most recent 50s high was 54 in 2004. On the warmer side, six highs were in the: 70s (3), 80s (2) and 90s (1). On the cold side, five highs were in the 40s.

In looking back through the years to the first April at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 59 with a cold low of 28, a 31 degree spread. In 1977 the high was 52 with a low of 47, a five degree spread. In 1976 the high was a warm 73 degrees. In 1972 the high was a cold 47 degrees. In 1970 the high was 72 with a low of 40, a 32 degree spread. In 1968 the high was a warm 73 degrees. In 1963 the high was a cold 47 degrees. In 1962 the high was a warm 73 degrees. In 1960 the high was 85 with a low of 57, a warm day. In 1959 the high was 63 with a low of 30, a 33 degree spread.

More recently, we had small spreads of six degrees in 1987 (50/44) and seven degrees in 1999 (51/44). The large spreads were 36 degrees in 1990 (73/37), 34 degrees in 2000 (65/31) and 31 degrees in 1991 (63/32).

On the cold side, in 1986 the high was 47 with the record low of 24. Two years earlier, in 1984, the high was 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. In 2002 the high was 43 with a low of 36, a seven degree spread. Other cold highs were 46 in 2005 (our most recent 40s high) and 49 in 1992. The record coldest high of 38 was set back in 1936. 26 of the last 32 lows (81%) were in the: 30s (15) and 40s (11). One low was in the cold 20s (the record low). Five lows were in the warmer: 50s (4) and 60s (1).

The recent cold of April 2011: Monday, April 18: high of 41, low of 32. The second coldest April 18 of the past 33 years. Only 1983 (37/23) was colder. Tuesday, April 19: high of 38, low of 34. The second coldest April 19 of the past 33 years. Only 1983 (44/22) was colder. Wednesday, April 20: high of 43, low of 32. The second coldest April 20 of the past 33 years. Only 1981 (41/30) was colder.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 5:32 and sunrise is at 6:02. Sunset is at 19:42 and twilight ends at 20:12. There's a total of 13 hours, 40 minutes of daylight today and 14 hours, 40 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:31 and sunrise is at 6:01. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 78% at midnight, will be 74% at noon and 69% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 0:13 this morning. Moonset is at 9:32 this morning. Moonrise is at 1:01 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 19 minutes which is 49 minutes longer than yesterday.

The warm part of Spring (Warm Spring) began 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. Good Friday and Earth Day are today. -Bernie-