May 3: ORD

Today is May 3rd. It's the 123rd day of the year. 242 days remain. It's week 18 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 66 and the normal low is 42. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 64 and 42.

On the warm side, in 2001 the high was 86 (our only 80s high) with a low of 58. In 1999 the high was 78 with a low of 49. Other warm highs were 79 in 1982 and 78 in 1981. Another warm low was 57 in 1993. The record high of 92 was set in 1955 and the record warmest low of 68 occurred four years later in 1959. 14 of the last 32 highs (44%) were in the cool 50s. On the warmer side, 18 highs (56%) were in the: 60s (7), 70s (10) and 80s (1).

In looking back through the years to the first May at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: in 1976 the high was a cold 49 degrees. In 1973 the high was a cool 52 degrees. In 1972 the high was a cool 53 degrees. In 1970 the high was 73 with a low of 38, a 35 degree spread. In 1969 the high was a warm 82 with a low of 52, a 30 degree spread and warm day. In 1967 the high was a cool 50 with a low of 31, a cold day. In 1965 the high was a warm 82 with a low of 48, a 34 degree spread. In 1964 the high was a warm 80 with a low of 49, a 31 degree spread. In 1963 the low was a warm 54 degrees. In 1962 the high was 77 with a low of 45, a 32 degree spread. In 1959 the high was 89 with a low of 67, a hot day.

More recently, we had a small spread of seven degrees in 1998 (56/49). The large spreads were 37 degrees in 1985 (71/34), 33 degrees in 1980 (76/43), 33 degrees in 1982 (79/46) and 30 degrees in 1981 (78/48).

On the cool side, in 2004 the high was 54 with the record low of 30. The former record low of 32 occurred in 1971. A year later, in 2005, the high was 52 with a low of 33. Other cool highs were 50 in 1987 and 51 in 1983, 53 in 1984 and 53 in 2002. The record coldest high of 41 occurred back in 1935. 28 of the last 32 lows (88%) were in the: 30s (12) and 40s (16). Four lows (12%) were in the warmer 50s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight is at 5:16 and sunrise is at 5:47. Sunset is at 19:55 and twilight ends at 20:25. There's a total of 14 hours, 8 minutes of daylight today and 15 hours, 9 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 5:14 and sunrise is at 5:45. The moon becomes new today at 1:51. Illumination was 0% at midnight, will be 0% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 5:40 this morning. Moonset is at 20:43 tonight. Moonrise is at 6:17 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 3 minutes which is 28 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. National Teacher Day is today. Mother's Day is in five days. -Bernie-