February 22: ORD

Today is February 22nd. It's the 53rd day of the year. 313 days remain. It's week 8 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 38 and the normal low is 22. I've calculated the 33-year averages at 39 and 26.

On the warm side, in 2000 the high was 59 with a low of 39 (our most recent 30s low and O'Hare's co-warmest low of the date). 2000 was also O'Hare's warmest February 22nd. In 1984 the high was 60 (O'Hare's only 60s high of the date) with a low of 32. In 1998 the high was 50 with a low of 37. In 1981 the high was 48 with a low of 37. Four years later, in 1985, the high was 46 with a low of 39 (O'Hare's other co-warmest low of the date), and a seven degree spread. In 1992 the high was 50 with a low of 34. The other warm low was 34 in 1980. The record high of 68 was set back in 1922 and the record warmest low of 52 occurred back in 1930. Both records were set at a time when the official readings were taken adjacent to Lake Michigan. 22 of the past 33 highs (67%) were in the: 30s (10) and 40s (12). There were six consecutive 30s & 40s highs from 2002 through 2007. On the warm side, four highs (12%) were in the: 50s (3) and 60s (1). On the cold side, seven highs (21%) were in the 20s. O'Hare's coldest highs of the date were 15 in 1965 and 19 in 1963.

In looking back through the years to the first February at O'Hare in 1959, the following instances were notable: In 1978 the high was 25 with a low of 3, a cold day. In 1977 the high was a warm 53 with a low of 33, a warm day. In 1975 the low was a warm 34 degrees. In 1970 the high was a warm 50 with a low of 33, a warm day. In 1969 the high was 41 with a warm low of 35, a six degree spread. In 1968 the high was 32 with a cold low of 1, a 31 degree spread and cold day. In 1967 the low was a cold 9 degrees. In 1966 the low was a cold 8 degrees. In 1965 the high was 15 with a low of 1, a cold day. In 1964 the high was 31 with a cold low of 2 degrees, a cold day. In 1963 the high was 19 with a low of -8, a cold day. In 1961 the high was a warm 50 degrees.

More recently, there were small spreads of four degrees in: 1980 (38/34), two years ago, in 2010 (33/29) and last year, in 2011 (27/23). There were spreads of five degrees in: 1993 (24/19) and 1994 (29/24). There were spreads of six degrees in 2008 (27/21) and seven degrees in 1996 (39/32).

On the cold side, in 1989 the high was 24 with a low of 10. Three years ago, in 2009, the high was 24 with a low of 13. The other cold high was 24 in 1993. The record low of -14 was set way back in 1873 and the record coldest high of 8 occurred way back in 1901. Both records were set at a time when the official readings were taken adjacent to Lake Michigan. 27 of the last 33 lows (82%) were in the: 20s (15) and 30s (12). Our most recent 30s low was 39 in 2000. Six lows (18%) were in the 10s (a.k.a. teens). O'Hare's coldest low of -8 occurred in 1963, year of O'Hare's coldest February 22nd (a high of 19 that day).

Today is a major day in Chicago's snow history. In 1994, 4 inches fell. This was the first day of a four day stretch in which 16.1 inches fell.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:12 and sunrise is at 6:40. Sunset is at 17:34 and twilight ends at 18:03. There's a total of 10 hours, 54 minutes of daylight today and 11 hours, 51 minutes between twilights. We gained three minutes of daylight from yesterday. Tomorrow twilight begins at 6:10 and sunrise is at 6:39. The moon is waxing crescent, having passed new yesterday at 16:35. Illumination was 0% at midnight, will be 1% at noon and 2% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 6:37 this morning. Moonset is at 18:43 tonight. Moonrise is at 7:03 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 6 minutes which is 36 minutes longer than yesterday.

Winter began December 1st and runs for 102 days through March 11th. High temperatures in this period are usually in the 20s and 30s. Highs in the 40s and 50s occur infrequently. George Washington's Birthday and Ash Wednesday are today. St. Patrick's Day is in 24 days.