November 3: ORD

Today is November 3rd. It's the 307th day of the year. 58 days remain. It's week 44 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. Before this, the official site was on the south side of Chicago at Midway International Airport (MDW), beginning on Wednesday, July 1, 1942. Before that, the official site was at various locations in Chicago going back to Monday, October 16, 1871. Observations taken from October 15, 1870 to October 8, 1871 were lost in the Great Chicago Fire.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 55 and the normal low is 38. I've calculated the 33-year averages at 53 and 36.

On the warm side, in 1987 the high was the record high of 75 with a low of 57. The record high of 75 also occurred in 1938 and 1964. Three years ago, in 2008, the high was 73 (our most recent 70s high) with a low of 54. Three years earlier, in 2005, the high was 70 with a low of 53. In 1994 the high was 68 with a low of 54. In 1978 the high was 74 with a low of 43, a 31 degree spread. In 1990 the high was 70 with a low of 47. A decade earlier, in 1980, the high was 66 with a low of 50. The other warm high was 68 in 1981. The record warmest low of 60 occurred in 1975 at Midway. 21 of the past 33 highs (64%) were in the: 40s (13) and 50s (8). Ten highs (30%) were in the warm: 60s (5) and 70s (5). Our most recent 60s high was 66 in 2001. Two highs (6%) were in the cold: 20s (1) and 30s (1).

In looking back through the years to the first November at O'Hare in 1958, the following instances were notable: in 1977 the high was 71 with a low of 58, a warm day. In 1975 the high was 67 with a low of 62, a five degree spread, warm day and year of the record warmest low of 60 at Midway. In 1972 the high was 46 with a low of 41, a five degree spread. In 1969 the high was 44 with a low of 41, a three degree spread. In 1967 the high was a cold 41 degrees. In 1966 the high was 36 with a low of 23, a cold day. In 1965 the high was 73 with a low of 50, a warm day. In 1964 the high was 74 with a low of 51, a warm day. In 1963 the high was 59 with a cold low of 21, a 38 degree spread.

More recently, there was a large spread of 31 degrees in 2001 (66/35). There were small spreads of five degrees in 2003 (51/46) and seven degrees in 1997 (40/33).

On the cold side, in 1991 the high was the record coldest high of 24 with a low of 13. Four years later, in 1995, the high was 33 with a low of 27, a six degree spread. In 2006 the high was 40 with a low of 21. In 1989 the high was 41 with a low of 20. The other cold lows were 23 in 1996, 24 in 2002 and 25 in 1984. The other cold highs were 40 in 1997 and 42 in 1992. The record low of 11 was set in 1951 at Midway. 22 of the last 33 lows (67%) were in the: 20s (9) and 30s (13). Eight consecutive lows from 1995 through 2002 were in the 20s & 30s. One low (3%) was in the cold 10s (aka teens) (13 in 1991). Ten lows (30%) were in the warm: 40s (5) and 50s (5).

There's been three instances of back-to-back years in which temperatures were just about as opposite as they can be. First, in 1989 the high was 41 with a low of 20, overall 15.5 degrees BELOW normal. Then in 1990 the high was 70 with a low of 47, overall 12.5 degrees ABOVE normal. Second, in 1994 the high was 68 with a low of 54, overall 15 degrees ABOVE normal. Then in 1995 the high was 33 with a low of 27, overall 16 degrees BELOW normal. Third, in 2005 the high was 70 with a low of 53, overall 15.5 degrees ABOVE normal. Then in 2006 the high was 40 with a low of 21, overall 15.5 degrees BELOW normal.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:59 and sunrise is at 7:29. Sunset is at 17:45 and twilight ends at 18:14. There's a total of 10 hours, 16 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 15 minutes between twilights. We lost three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 7:00 and sunrise is at 7:30. The moon is waxing gibbous, having reached first quarter yesterday at 11:38. Illumination was 56% at midnight, will be 61% at noon and 65% at midnight tonight. Moonset was at 0:33 this morning. Moonrise is at 14:14 this afternoon. Moonset is at 1:35 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 19 minutes which is five minutes longer than yesterday.

Cool Fall began November 2 and runs for 29 days through November 30. High temperatures in this period are usually in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Highs in the 10s and 20s occur infrequently. Election Day is in five days. Veterans Day is in eight days. Thanksgiving is in 21 days.