April 26: ORD

Today is April 26th. It's the 116th day of the year. 249 days remain. It's week 17 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 62 and the normal low is 41. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 65 and 42.

On the warm side, in 1990 the high was 85 with a low of 66. Four years later, in 1994, the high was 87 with a low of 63. In 1986 the high was the record high of 89 with a low of 55, a 34 degree spread. Two years earlier, in 1984, the high was 83 with a low of 51, a 32 degree spread. Other warm highs were 82 in 1983, 78 two years ago (in 2009) and 76 in 2001. The record warmest low of 69 occurred back in 1915. 22 of the last 32 highs (69%) were in the: 50s (11) and 60s (11). On the warmer side, nine highs were: 70s (4) and 80s (5). On the cold side, one high was in the 40s.

In looking back through the years to the first April at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: in 1977 the high was 65 with a low of 35, a 30 degree spread. In 1976 the high was a cold 49 degrees. In 1974 the high was a warm 79 with a low of 45, a 34 degree spread. In 1972 the high was 62 with a low of 30, a 32 degree spread. In 1970 the high was a warm 78 with a low of 50, a warm day. In 1969 the high was a warm 79 with a low of 51, a warm day. In 1967 the high was a cold 47 with a low of 33, a cold day. In 1965 the high was a cold 44 with a low of 37, a seven degree spread and cold day. In 1963 the high was 69 with a low of 37, a 32 degree spread. In 1962 the high was 85 with a low of 57, a warm day. In 1959 the high was a cold 48 degrees.

More recently, we had a small spread of six degrees in 1995 (53/47). We had large spreads of 41 degrees in 1983 (82/41), 37 degrees in 2006 (64/27), 35 degrees two years ago (in 2009) (78/43), 30 degrees in 1997 (65/35) and 30 degrees in 2001 (76/46).

On the cool side, in 1980 the high was 50 with a low of 30 (the previous record low). In 1993 the high was 47 with a low of 34. In 2006 the low was the record low of 27. The record coldest high of 38 occurred back in 1907. 27 of the last 32 lows (84%) were in the: 30s (11) and 40s (16). One low was in the cold 20s. Four lows were in the warmer: 50s (2) and 60s (2).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight is at 5:26 and sunrise is at 5:56. Sunset is at 19:47 and twilight ends at 20:17. There's a total of 13 hours, 51 minutes of daylight today and 14 hours, 51 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:25 and sunrise is at 5:55. The moon is waning crescent, having reached last quarter two nights ago at 21:47. Illumination was 39% at midnight, will be 34% at noon and 30% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 2:40 this morning. Moonset is at 13:45 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 3:05 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 11 hours, 5 minutes which is 35 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. Administrative Professionals Day is tomorrow. Arbor Day is in three days. -Bernie-