June 2: ORD

Today is June 2nd. It's the 153rd day of the year. 212 days remain. It's week 22 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 76 and the normal low is 53. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 73 and 53.

On the warm side, in 1990 the high was 85 with a low of 64. In 2007 the high was 81 with a low of 65. The record high of 92 was set in 1944 and the record warmest low of 73 occurred a year earlier in 1943. The record high of 92 was originally set way back in 1895. 14 of the past 32 highs (44%) were in the 70s. Eight highs (25%) were in the warmer 80s. Ten highs (31%) were in the cool: 50s (2) and 60s (8).

In looking back through the years to the first June at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1969 the high was a cool 57 with a low of 48, a cool day. In 1967 the high was 78 with a low of 45, a 33 degree spread. In 1966 the high was 78 with a cold low of 38, a 40 degree spread. In 1965 the high was a cool 63 degrees. In 1964 the high was 68 with a cold low of 39, a cool day. In 1962 the high was a cool 58 with a low of 48, a cool day. In 1961 the high was 82 with a low of 50, a 32 degree spread.

More recently, there were large spreads of 31 degrees in 1992 (77/46), 31 degrees in 1998 (78/47) and 30 degrees three years ago in 2008 (86/56). The one small spread was seven degrees in 1993 (58/51).

On the cool side, in 1986 the high was 60 with a low of 45. In 2003 the high was 68 with the record low of 38, a 30 degree spread. The former record low of 43 occurred in 1910. In 2001 the high was 56 with a low of 50, a six degree spread. Other cool highs were 58 in 1993, 60 two years ago (in 2009) and 64 in 1985. The record coolest high of 51 occurred in 1929. 19 of the last 32 lows (59%) were in the 50s. Eight lows (25%) were in the cold: 30s (1) and 40s (7). Five lows (16%) were in the warmer 60s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 4:45 and sunrise is at 5:19. Sunset is at 20:24 and twilight ends at 20:58. There's a total of 15 hours, 5 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 13 minutes between twilights. We gained two minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:45 and sunrise is at 5:19. The moon is waxing crescent, having passed new yesterday at 16:03. Illumination was 0% at midnight, will be 1% at noon and 2% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 5:48 this morning. Moonset is at 21:24 tonight. Moonrise is at 6:46 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 36 minutes which is three minutes longer than yesterday. Moonlight time is at it's longest today, just when you can't see it!

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. Flag Day is in 12 days.