June 26: ORD

Today is June 26th. It's the 177th day of the year. 188 days remain. It's week 26 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 82 and the normal low is 60. I've calculated the 32-year averages at 84 and 62.

On the hot side, in 1983 the high was the record high of 99 with a low of 72. In 2005 the high was 93 with a low of 70. Two years later, in 2007, the high was 92 with a low of 70. The other 90s highs were 92 in 1989, 92 in 1991, 91 in 1980 and 90 in 1986. The record warmest low of 77 occurred back in 1931. The other 70s lows were all 70 in: 1998, 2002 and 2008. 24 of the past 32 highs (75%) were in the: 70s (9) and 80s (15). Seven highs (22%) were in the hot 90s. One high (3%) was in the cool 60s (69 in 1982). That only 60s high was followed by our record high of 99 in 1983.

In looking back through the years to the first June at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1977 the high was 89 with a low of 58, a 31 degree spread. In 1970 the high was a cool 64 with a low of 54, a cool day. In 1969 the high was 96 with a low of 75, a hot day. In 1963 the high was 92 with a low of 62, a 30 degree spread.

More recently, the spreads were all large: 35 degrees in 1979 (88/53), 34 degrees in 1986 (90/56) and 32 degrees in 1984 (88/56).

On the cool side, in 1982 the high was 69 with a low of 52. A decade later, in 1992, the high was 73 with the record low of 50. The record coolest high of 60 occurred way back in 1884. 26 of the last 32 lows (81%) were in the: 50s (10) and 60s (16). Our most recent 50s low was 52 in 2004. Three lows were in the 60s and three in the 70s since then. A total of six lows (19%) were in the warm 70s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 4:44 and sunrise is at 5:18. Sunset is at 20:34 and twilight ends at 21:08. There's a total of 15 hours, 16 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 24 minutes between twilights. We lost no minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:44 and sunrise is at 5:19. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 25% at midnight, will be 21% at noon and 17% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 1:39 this morning. Moonset is at 16:21 this afternoon. Moonrise is at 2:12 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 42 minutes which is 32 minutes longer than yesterday.

Summer began June 4 and runs for 110 days through September 21. High temperatures in this period are usually in the 70s and 80s. Highs in the 60s, 90s and 100s occur infrequently. Independence Day is in eight days.