June 3: ORD

Today is June 3rd. It's the 154th day of the year. 211 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 70 and 52.

On the warm side, in 1981 the high was 81 with a low of 62. Two years earlier, in 1979, the high was 84 with a low of 57. In 2007 the high was 78 with a low of 62. The record high of 95 was set way back in 1895. The record warmest low of 69 occurred in 1944. 26 of the past 32 highs (81%) were in the: 60s (14) and 70s (12). Four highs were in the warmer 80s. Two highs were in the cool 50s. All of the 80s highs over the last 32 years occurred between 1979 and 1992. That will change today as an 80s high is predicted. The last nine years (2002-10) have also featured highs in the 60s & 70s. This string will be broken with one of the warmest highs. In fact, this may wind up being O'Hare's warmest June 3. Before the string began, a cool high of 55 occurred in 2001.

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 79 with a low of 42, a 37 degree spread. In 1973 the low was a warm 65 degrees. In 1972 the high was a hot 92 with a low of 64, a hot day. In 1971 the high was 85 with a low of 53, a 32 degree spread. In 1970 the high was a cool 62 degrees. In 1969 the high was a cool 57 with a low of 45, a cool day. In 1967 the high was 80 with a low of 43, a 37 degree spread. In 1963 the high was a hot 88 degrees.

More recently, there were large spreads of 35 degrees in 1986 (75/40), 32 degrees in 1984 (81/49), 32 degrees in 1994 (73/41) and 30 degrees in 1992 (80/50). The one small spread was five degrees in 1999 (65/60).

On the cool side, in 1993 the high was 54 with a low of 47, a seven degree spread. In 1982 the high was 60 with a low of 43. Two years ago, in 2009, the high was 61 with a low of 43. In 2001 the high was 55 with a low of 49, a six degree spread. Other cold lows were 40 in 1986 and 41 in 1994. Other cool highs were 61 in 1998, 61 in 2003, 63 in 1985 and 64 in 2000. The record low of 37 and record coolest high of 48 were set on the same cold day in 1945. Another cool high of 51 occurred way back in 1910. 27 of the last 32 lows (84%) were in the: 40s (13) and 50s (14). Five lows 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 20:25 and twilight ends at 20:59. There's a total of 15 hours, 6 minutes of daylight today and 16 hours, 14 minutes between twilights. We gained a minute of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 4:44 and sunrise is at 5:18. The moon is waxing crescent, having passed new two days ago at 16:03. Illumination was 2% at midnight, will be 4% at noon and 6% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 6:46 this morning. Moonset is at 22:11 tonight. Moonrise is at 7:50 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 25 minutes which is 11 minutes shorter 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. Flag Day is in 11 days. Today is the last day of Spring, temperature-wise.