October 5: ORD

Today is October 5th. It's the 279th day of the year. 87 days remain. It's week 41 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 67 and the normal low is 46. The 29-year averages are 65 and 44.

On the warm side, in 2005 the high was 84 with the record warmest low of 69 (old was 68 in 1922). Last year the high was 84 with a low of 62. In 1982 the high was 86 with a low of 54 (a 32 degree spread). In 1997 the high was the record high of 88 with a low of 52 (a 36 degree spread). In 1990 the high was 85 with a low of 51 (a 34 degree spread). 22 of the 29 highs have been in the 50s (8) and 60s (14).

Another large spread was 30 degrees in 1993 (64/34). The small spread was 4 degrees in 1995 (60/56).

On the cool side, in 1980 the high was 54 with the record low of 28. In 1988 the high was 54 with a low of 32. In 2004 the high was 60 with a low of 31. In 2001, the high was 51 with a low of 41. In 2003 the high was 57 with a low of 37. Other cool lows were 34 in 1993 and 36 in 1999. 20 of the 29 lows have been in the 30s (9) and 40s (11).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:27 and sunrise is at 6:55. Sunset is at 18:27 and twilight ends at 18:55. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:28 and sunrise is at 6:56. There's a total of 11 hours, 32 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 28 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 31% at midnight, will be 35% at noon and 40% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 13:26 this afternoon and moonset is at 21:59 tonight. Moonlight time is 8 hours, 33 minutes today.

The following events are all eight days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

October 4: ORD

Today is October 4th. It's the 278th day of the year. 88 days remain. It's week 40 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 67 and the normal low is 47. The 29-year averages are 65 and 45.

On the warm side, in 2005 the high was 87 with the record warmest low of 71 (old was 69 in 1922). This low of 71 tied October 1, 1971 as the warmest October low ever. Last year the high was 82 with a low of 51 (a 31 degree spread). In 1997 the high was 78 with a low of 54. Two years ago the high was 76 with a low of 55. Another warm high was 77 in 1982. The record high of 90 was set in 1951. 14 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s. Eight highs were in the 50s.

Other large spreads were 36 degrees in 1982 (77/41), 33 degrees in 1987 (69/36), 32 degrees in 1984 (70/38), and 31 degrees in 1993 (65/34). The small spreads were 8 degrees in 1998 (64/56) and 9 degrees in 2000 (61/52).

On the cool side, in 1980 the high was 51 with a low of 32. In 1988 the high was 52 with a low of 36. In 1999 the high was 54 with a low of 39. In 1996, the high was 58 with a low of 35. In 1989 the high was 61 with the record low of 32. In 2004 the high was 58 with a low of 36. Other cool lows were 34 in 1993 and 36 in 1987. 28 of the 29 lows have been in the 30s (10), 40s (8) and 50s (10).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:26 and sunrise is at 6:54. Sunset is at 18:29 and twilight ends at 18:57. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:27 and sunrise is at 6:55. There's a total of 11 hours, 35 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 31 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 22% at midnight, will be 26% at noon and 31% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 12:33 this afternoon and moonset is at 21:08 tonight. Moonlight time is 8 hours, 35 minutes today.

The following events are all nine days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

October 3: ORD

Today is October 3rd. It's the 277th day of the year. 89 days remain. It's week 40 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 68 and the normal low is 47. The 29-year averages are 68 and 47.

On the warm side, in 2005 the high was 85 with the record warmest low of 70 (old was 69 in 1922). In 1997 the high was 87 with a low of 60. In 1983 the high was 80 with a low of 61. Other warm highs were 82 in both 1992 and two years ago. It was 81 in 1990. Another warm low was 61 in 1986. The record high of 91 was set in 1954. 27 of the 29 highs have been in the 50s (5), 60s (6), 70s (10) and 80s (6).

The large spreads were 38 degrees in 1993 (71/33), 34 degrees in 2004 (70/36), 32 degrees in 1981 (61/29), 32 degrees in 1984 (75/43), 31 degrees in 1985 (68/37), 31 degrees in 1992 (82/51), 30 degrees in 1982 (75/45) and 30 degrees in 1990 (81/51). The small spreads were 5 degrees in 2002 (63/58), 6 degrees in 1999 (47/41) and 7 degrees in 1998 (58/51).

On the cool side, in 1987 the high was 54 with a low of 31. In 1980 the high was 49 with a low of 37. In 1989 the high was 53 with a low of 35. In 1999, the high was the record coolest high of 47 with a low of 41. In 1981 the high was 61 with the record low of 29. In 1996 the high was 55 with a low of 38. Other cool highs were 53 in 2003 and 58 in 1998. Other cool lows were 33 in 1993, 36 in 2004 and 37 in 1985. 24 of the 29 lows have been in the 30s (7), 40s (7) and 50s (10).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:25 and sunrise is at 6:53. Sunset is at 18:31 and twilight ends at 18:58. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:26 and sunrise is at 6:54. There's a total of 11 hours, 38 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 33 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 15% at midnight, will be 18% at noon and 22% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 11:33 this morning and moonset is at 20:24 tonight. Moonrise is at 12:33 tomorrow afternoon. Moonlight time is 8 hours, 51 minutes today.

The following events are all 10 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

October 2: ORD

Today is October 2nd. It's the 276th day of the year. 90 days remain. It's week 40 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 69 and the normal low is 48. The 29-year averages are 69 and 46.

On the warm side, in 1991 the high was 80 with a low of 59. In 2005 the high was 84 with a low of 54. Two years ago the high was 77 with a low of 61. In 1983 the high was 88 with a low of 49. In 2000 the high was 81 with a low of 56. Other warm highs were 81 in 1982 and 80 in 2001. Other warm lows were 60 in both 1986 and 2002. The record high and record warmest low were set in 1971: 91 and 69 respectively. The tally of highs for October 2nd over the last 29 years is a smorgasbord: seven in the 50s, nine in the 60s, seven in the 70s and six in the 80s.

The large spreads were 39 degrees in 1983 (88/49), 37 degrees in 1997 (79/42), 34 degrees in 1990 (73/39), 32 degrees in 1982 (81/49), 32 degrees in 2001 (80/48), 31 degrees in 1984 (68/37), 30 degrees in 1992 (78/48) and 30 degrees in 2005 (84/54). In 1986 the high was 67 with a low of 60. The spread of 7 degrees was the smallest for 10/2 since 1979.

On the cool side, in 1981 the high was 52 with a low of 32. In 2003 the high was 53 with a low of 31. in 1993 the high was 55 with a low of 33. In 1987 the high was 58 with a low of 33. In 1999 the high was 55 with a low of 36. In 2004 the high was 58 with a low of 37. Another cool high was 57 in 1998. Other cool lows were 34 in 1985, 37 in 1984 and 39 in 1990. The record low of 28 was set in 1974 and the record coolest high of 48 was set way back in 1888. 26 of the 29 lows have been in the 30s (9), 40s (10) and 50s (7). Three lows have been in the 60s, the last one occurred two years ago at 61 degrees.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:24 and sunrise is at 6:52. Sunset is at 18:32 and twilight ends at 19:00. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:25 and sunrise is at 6:53. There's a total of 11 hours, 40 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 36 minutes between twilights. The moon is waxing crescent. Illumination was 9% at midnight, will be 12% at noon and 15% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 10:30 this morning and moonset is at 19:48 tonight. Moonrise is at 11:33 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 18 minutes today.

The following events are all 11 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

October 1: ORD

Today is October 1st. It's the 275th day of the year. 91 days remain. It's week 40 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 69 and the normal low is 48. The 29-year averages are 71 and 47.

On the warm side, in 2002 the high was 82 with a low of 67. In 2000 the high was 83 with a low of 61. Other warm highs were 81 in 1983 and 80 in 1980. Other warm lows were 57 in 1986 and 59 last year. In 1971 the record high of 92 and record warmest low of 71 were established. 23 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s (8) and 70s (15).

The large spreads were 38 degrees in 1981 (76/38), 36 degrees in 1987 (73/37), 35 degrees in 1983 (81/46), 34 degrees in 1979 (77/43), 33 degrees in 1992 (74/41), 32 degrees in 1984 (65/33) and 30 degrees two years ago (74/44). We had one dual day which was in 1986. In that year the high was 61 (one of the coolest) and low of 57 (one of the warmest). The spread of 4 degrees was the smallest for 10/1.

On the cool side, in 2003 the high was 53 with a low of 34. In 1985 the high was 55 with a low of 34. Other cool highs include 60 in back to back to back years ('97, '98 and '99). The highs were 61 in 1986 and 62 in 1994. Other cool lows were 33 in 1984, 37 in 1987 and 38 in 1981. We had a 16 year reprieve from 30s lows from 1987 to 2003. The record low of 32 was set in 1974 and the record coolest high of 49 was set in 1961. 22 of the 29 lows have been 40s (13) and 50s (9).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:23 and sunrise is at 6:51. Sunset is at 18:34 and twilight ends at 19:02. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:24 and sunrise is at 6:52. There's a total of 11 hours, 43 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 39 minutes between twilights. The moon was new two morning's ago at 3:12. Illumination was 4% at midnight, will be 6% at noon and 9% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 9:24 this morning and moonset is at 19:17 tonight. Moonrise is at 10:30 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 9 hours, 53 minutes today.

The following events are all 12 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 30: ORD

Today is September 30th. It's the 274th day of the year. 92 days remain. It's week 40 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 69 and the normal low is 48. The 29-year averages are 73 and 48.

On the warm side, in 2002 the high was 85 with the near-record warmest low of 68. The record warmest low remains 69 degrees, set in 1971. In 1995 the high was 84 with a low of 65. In 1982 the high was 85 with a low of 58. Last year the high was 83 with a low of 59. Other warm highs were 83 in both 1981 and 1994. It was 82 in 1991 and 81 in 1983. Another warm low was 58 in 1988. The record high of 92 was set in 1971. 28 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s (9), 70s (11) and 80s (8).

The large spreads were 36 degrees in 2004 (72/36), 34 degrees in 1989 (77/43), 33 degrees in 1983 (81/48), 31 degrees in 1984 (60/29), 31 degrees in 1994 (83/52), 31 degrees in 1996 (78/47), 30 degrees in 1991 (82/52) and 30 degrees in 1993 (61/31).

On the cool side, in 1984 the high was 60 with the record low of 29. In 1993 the high was 61 with a low of 31. In 2003 the lone 50s high of 56 occurred with a low of 39. Another cool high of 61 occurred in 1985. Other cool lows were 36 in 2004 and 39 in 1992. The record coolest high of 44 was set way back in 1899. 22 of the 29 lows have been 40s (11) and 50s (11).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:22 and sunrise is at 6:50. Sunset is at 18:36 and twilight ends at 19:04. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:23 and sunrise is at 6:51. There's a total of 11 hours, 46 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 42 minutes between twilights. The moon was new yesterday morning at 3:12. Illumination was 1% at midnight, will be 2% at noon and 4% at midnight tonight. Moonrise is at 8:18 this morning and moonset is at 18:51 tonight. Moonrise is at 9:24 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 10 hours, 33 minutes today.

The following events are all 13 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 29: ORD

Today is September 29th. It's the 273rd day of the year. 93 days remain. It's week 40 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 69 and the normal low is 49. The 29-year averages are 70 and 49.

On the warm side, in 1982 the high was 83 with a low of 63. In 2002 the high was 84 with a low of 60. In 1979 the high was 85 with a low of 58. In 1986 the high was 77 with a low of 64. In 1995 the high was 80 with a low of 58. Other warm highs were 81 in 1983 and 80 last year. Another warm low was 57 in 1988. The record high of 99 was set in 1953 and the record warmest low of 69 was set in 1904. 25 of the last 29 highs have been in the 60s (10), 70s (9) and 80s (6).

The large spreads were 31 degrees in 1983 (81/50) and 30 degrees last year (80/50).

On the cool side, in 1984 the high was 55 with the record low of 32. In 1993 the high was 54 with a low of 37. Two years ago the high was 59 with a low of 37. In 1992 the high was 62 with a low of 36. Another cool high was 58 in 2003. Another cool low was 39 in 1991. The record coolest high of 44 was set way back in 1899. 21 of the last 29 lows have been 40s (9) and 50s (12). Today is also the runner-up date of the first freeze. This happened back in 1984. The earliest first freeze was on September 22 in 1995.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:21 and sunrise is at 6:49. Sunset is at 18:37 and twilight ends at 19:05. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:22 and sunrise is at 6:50. There's a total of 11 hours, 48 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 44 minutes between twilights. The moon is new this morning at 3:12. Illumination was 0% at midnight, will be 0% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise (of what you can see) is at 7:11 this morning. Moonset is at 18:28 (you won't see this) tonight and moonrise is at 8:18 tomorrow morning (again, not visible). Moonlight time is 11 hours, 17 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was a week ago at 10:44.

The following events are all two weeks away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 28: ORD

Today is September 28th. It's the 272nd day of the year. 94 days remain. It's week 40 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 69 and the normal low is 49. The 29-year averages are 69 and 49.

On the warm side, in 1986 the high was 82 with the only 60s low of 65. In 1987 the high was 82 with a low of 56. Other warm highs were 83 in 1979 and 81 in both 1983 and 1995. Other warm lows were 58 in both 1988 and 1997. There have been no 80s highs since 1995 so I think we are due one! However, the forecast this morning does not look favorable for this. The record high of 92 was set in 1953 and the record warmest low of 71 was set in 1971. There's quite an interesting spread of highs over the last 29 years: 60s (10), 70s (8), 50s (6) and 80s (5). The last nine years (1999-2007) have been a microcosm of the day: three occurrences of highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

The largest spread of 32 degrees happened in two years: 1979 (83/51) and 1989 (74/42). The spread was 31 degrees in 1985 (76/45). A small spread of 4 degrees occurred in 2001 as the high was 56 with a low of 52.

On the cool side, in 1984 the high was 56 with a low of 36. Two years ago the high was 59 with a low of 40. In 1991 the high was 64 with a low of 36. In 1992 the high was 59 with a low of 41. In 1993 the high was 59 with a low of 42. Another cool high was 56 in 2001. Anther cool low was 39 in 1981. The record low of 29 was set in 1942. The record coolest high of 50 was set way back in 1893. 25 of the last 29 lows have been 40s (10) and 50s (15).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:20 and sunrise is at 6:48. Sunset is at 18:39 and twilight ends at 19:07. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:21 and sunrise is at 6:49. There's a total of 11 hours, 51 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 47 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent, in fact, nearly new. The new moon is tomorrow morning at 3:12. Illumination was 1% at midnight, will be 0% at noon and 0% at midnight tonight. Moonrise (of what you can see) was at 6:04 this morning. Moonset is at 18:06 (you won't see this) this afternoon and moonrise is at 7:11 tomorrow morning (again, not visible). Moonlight time is 12 hours, 2 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was six days ago at 10:44.

The following events are all 15 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 27: ORD

Today is September 27th. It's the 271st day of the year. 95 days remain. It's week 39 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 70 and the normal low is 49. The 29-year averages are 71 and 50.

On the warm side, in 1986 the high was 86 with a low of 68. In 1987 the high was 89 with a low of 61. In 1998 the high was 86 with a low of 60. In 1979 the high was 83 with a low of 59. In 1988 the high was 81 with a low of 60. Other warm highs were 84 in 1990 and 81 in 1995. Another warm low was 58 in 1999. The record high of 91 and record warmest low of 71 were both set in 1971. 25 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s (11), 70s (7) and 80s (7). Just four highs have been in the 50s.

The largest spread of 37 degrees happened in 1990 as the high was 84 with a low of 47. The spread was 31 degrees in both 1985 (68/37) and 2004 (76/45). The spread was 30 degrees in 1983 as the high was 79 with a low of 49.

On the cool side, in 1984 the high was the near record coolest of 50 (the record is 49 set in 1942) with a low of 36. In 1991 the high was 58 with a low of 34. Other cool highs were 53 in 1993 and 58 in 1994. Other cool lows were 37 in both 1985 and 1989. The record coolest high of 49 was set in 1942. There have been no lows below 45 for 16 years running (since 34 in 1991). 21 of the last 29 lows have been 40s (13) and 50s (8).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:19 and sunrise is at 6:46. Sunset is at 18:41 and twilight ends at 19:09. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:20 and sunrise is at 6:48. There's a total of 11 hours, 55 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 50 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 5% at midnight, will be 3% at noon and 1% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 4:55 this morning. Moonset is at 17:45 this afternoon and moonrise is at 6:04 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 50 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was five days ago at 10:44.

The following events are all 16 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 26: ORD

Today is September 26th. It's the 270th day of the year. 96 days remain. It's week 39 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 70 and the normal low is 50. The 29-year averages are 70 and 50.

On the warm side, in 1998 the high was the record high of 90 with a low of 68. In 1986 the high was 78 with a low of 69. In 1999 the high was 86 with a low of 57. Other warm highs were 85 in 1987 and 83 in 1979. For 13 years running, there have been no highs failing to reach at least 65 degrees. The last time the high was below 65 was in 1994 when it was 58. The record warmest low of 71 was set in 1973. There have been 21 highs in the 60s (13) and 70s (8).

The largest spread of 39 degrees happened in 1987 as the high was 85 with a low of 46. Based upon the day before (in 1987), this must've been a warm front. On 9/25/87 the high and low were 69 and 44. There was a 32 degree spread in 1979 with a high of 83 and low of 51. The spread was 31 degrees in 1995 (76/45).

On the cool side, in 1984 the high was 53 with the near record low of 36 (the record is 35 set in 1928). In 1980 the high was 58 with a low of 42. In 1991 the high was 60 with a low of 40. Other cool highs were 58 degrees in 1989 and 1994. Other cool lows were 42 degrees in 1985 and 2000. The record coolest high of 47 was set in 1942. 26 of the last 29 lows have been 40s (12) and 50s (14).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:17 and sunrise is at 6:45. Sunset is at 18:43 and twilight ends at 19:11. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:19 and sunrise is at 6:46. There's a total of 11 hours, 58 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 54 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 11% at midnight, will be 8% at noon and 5% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 3:45 this morning. Moonset is at 17:23 this afternoon and moonrise is at 4:55 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 38 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was four days ago at 10:44.

The following events are all 17 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 25: ORD

Today is September 25th. It's the 269th day of the year. 97 days remain. It's week 39 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 71 and the normal low is 50. The 29-year averages are 71 and 48.

On the warm side, in 1986 the high was 88 with a low of 68. Last year the high was 85 with a low of 63. Other warm highs were 81 in both 1990 and 1998. It was 80 in both 1979 and 1999. Another warm low was 67 in 2005. The record high of 90 was set in 1933 and the record warmest low of 72 was set in 1920. Although the 70s have 11 occurrences over the last 29 years, the three other categories are nearly even: the 50s with five, the 60s with seven and the 80s with six.

The largest spread of 37 degrees happened in 1999 as the high was 80 with a low of 43. There was a 34 degree spread in 1984 with a high of 74 and low of 40. The spread was 32 degrees in 1988 (77/45). Two spreads of 31 degrees: the first in 1989 (70/39) and then in 2002 (74/43). A 30 degree spread in 1998 (81/51). A small spread of three degrees in 1983 (58/55) and five degrees in 1982 (52/47).

On the cool side, in 1985 the high was 58 with a low of 35. In 2000 the high was 55 with a low of 43. In 2001 the high was 58 with a low of 40. In 1982 the high was 52 with a low of 47. Another cool high was 58 in 1983. Other cool lows were 39 in 1989, 40 in 1984 and 41 in both 1991 and 1996. The record low of 30 was set in 1942 and the record coolest high of 46 was set the same year (1942). 15 of the last 29 lows have been 40s and nine have been 50s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:16 and sunrise is at 6:44. Sunset is at 18:44 and twilight ends at 19:12. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:17 and sunrise is at 6:45. There's a total of 12 hours of daylight today and 12 hours, 56 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 18% at midnight, will be 14% at noon and 11% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 2:32 this morning. Moonset is at 16:59 this afternoon and moonrise is at 3:45 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 27 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was three days ago at 10:44.

The following events are all 18 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 24: ORD

Today is September 24th. It's the 268th day of the year. 98 days remain. It's week 39 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 71 and the normal low is 51. The 29-year averages are 68 and 48.

On the warm side, last year the high was the near-record high of 90 degrees (the record high is 91, set way back in 1891) with a low of 68. In 1984 the high was 84 with a low of 61. Other warm highs were 82 in 2004 and 77 in 1981. Other warm lows were 64 in 1986 and 63 in 2005. The record warmest low of 71 was set in 1930. 16 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s and seven have been in the 70s.

On the cool side, in 1985 the high was 61 with the co-record low of 35. In 1989 the high was 61 with the other co-record low of 35. In 1991 the high was 57 with a low of 40. In 1995 the high was 62 with a low of 37. In 2001 the high was 55 with a low of 45. In 1983 the high was 66 with a low of 36 (a 30 degree spread). In 2002 the high was 61 with a low of 42. Another cool high was 56 in 2000. Another cool low was 38 in 1993 (spread of 31 as the high was 69). The record coolest high of 51 was set in 1942. 15 of the last 29 lows have been 40s. Five lows each in the 30s and 50s. Four lows have been in the 60s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:15 and sunrise is at 6:43. Sunset is at 18:46 and twilight ends at 19:14. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:16 and sunrise is at 6:44. There's a total of 12 hours, 3 minutes of daylight today and 12 hours, 59 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent. Illumination was 28% at midnight, will be 23% at noon and 18% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 1:17 this morning. Moonset is at 16:30 this afternoon and moonrise is at 2:32 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 13 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was two days ago at 10:44.

The following events are all 19 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 23: ORD

Today is September 23rd. It's the 267th day of the year. 99 days remain. It's week 39 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 71 and the normal low is 51. The 29-year averages are 68 and 47.

On the warm side, in 2004 the high was 85 with a low of 54 (a 31 degree spread). In 1986 the high was 73 with a low of 64. Last year the high was 84 with a low of 50 (a 34 degree spread). Other warm highs were 80 in 1999 and 77 in 1987. Other warm lows were 62 in 2005 and 59 in 1984. The record high of 91 was set in 1937 and the record warmest low of 71 was set way back in 1891. 21 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s (13) and 70s (8). There have been no highs below 65 degrees (from 1996 onward): the last 12 years running.

Other large spreads (differences of 30 degrees or more between the daily high and low) were: 30 degrees in both 1979 (73/43) and 2002 (69/39). A small spread of five degrees occurred in 2005 when the high was 67 and the low was 62.

On the cool side, in 1995 the high was 58 with the record low of 29. In 1983 the high was 56 with a low of 35. In 1989 the high was 54 with a low of 37. In 1981 the high was 63 with a low of 35. In 1992 the high was 59 with a low of 40. In 1990 the high was 59 with a low of 41. Another cool low was 39 in 2002. The record coolest high of 51 was set in 1928. 22 of the last 29 lows have been 40s (13) and 50s (9).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:14 and sunrise is at 6:42. Sunset is at 18:48 and twilight ends at 19:16. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:15 and sunrise is at 6:43. There's a total of 12 hours, 6 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 2 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning crescent, having passed last quarter yesterday at 4 minutes past midnight. Illumination was 38% at midnight, will be 33% at noon and 28% at midnight tonight. Moonrise was at 2 minutes past midnight. Moonset is at 15:54 this afternoon and moonrise is at 1:17 tomorrow morning. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 52 minutes today. The autumnal equinox was yesterday at 10:44.

The following events are all 20 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 22: ORD

Today is September 22nd. It's the 266th day of the year. 100 days remain. It's week 39 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 72 and the normal low is 51. The 29-year averages are 71 and 50.

On the warm side, in 1986 the high was the only 90s high of 90 with a low of 65. In 2005 the high was 87 with a low of 63. Other warm highs were 84 in 1980 and 82 in 2004. Other warm lows were 60 (1984 and 1985) and 61 in 1988. The record high of 92 was set in 1956 and the record warmest low of 73 was set way back in 1895. 23 of the 29 highs have been in the 60s (11) and 70s (12).

The large spreads (differences of 30 degrees or more between the daily high and low) were: 35 degrees in 1989 (78/43), 32 degrees in 2004 (82/50) and 31 degrees in 1999 (72/41).

On the cool side, in 1995 the high was 52 with the record low of 32. In 1983 the high was 54 with a low of 37. In 1981 the high was 61 with a low of 41. In 1992 the high was 62 with a low of 41. In 1982 the high was 61 with a low of 43. Another cool low was 41 in 1999. The record coolest high of 49 occurred in 1974. 22 of the last 29 lows have been 40s (12) and 50s (10).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:13 and sunrise is at 6:41. Sunset is at 18:50 and twilight ends at 19:18. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:14 and sunrise is at 6:42. There's a total of 12 hours, 9 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 5 minutes between twilights. The moon is at the last quarter and reached it at 4 minutes past midnight. Illumination was 50% at midnight, will be 44% at noon and 38% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 15:09 this afternoon and moonrise is at 2 minutes past midnight tonight. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 9 minutes today. The autumnal equinox is today at 10:44.

The following events are all three weeks away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 21: ORD

Today is September 21st. It's the 265th day of the year. 101 days remain. It's week 39 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 72 and the normal low is 52. The 29-year averages are 71 and 51.

On the hot side, last year the high was 88 with a low of 64. In 1980 the high was 79 with a low of 69. In 1986 the high was 82 with a low of 60. Another hot high was 87 in 2005. The record high of 92 was set in 1970 and the record warmest low of 76 was set in 1931. Quite a line-up of high temperatures over the last 29 years: 13 have been 60s and there have been seven in the 70s and seven in the 80s.

The large spreads (differences of 30 degrees or more between the daily high and low) were: 34 degrees in 2005 (87/53), 32 degrees in 1984 (80/48) and 31 degrees in 1994 (82/51).

On the cool side, in 1995 the high was the record coolest high of just 50 degrees along with a low of 41. In 1983 the high was another 50s high of 53 with the co-record low of 39. The other co-record low of 39 occurred in 1991 and yet another way back in 1889. In 1982 the high was 61 with a low of 41. In 1999 the was also 61 with a low of 41. Another cool high was 62 in 1987. Another cool low was 40 two years ago. 15 of the last 29 lows have been 50s and nine have been 40s.

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 18:51 and twilight ends at 19:19. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:13 and sunrise is at 6:41. There's a total of 12 hours, 11 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 7 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning gibbous and will reach the last quarter tonight at 4 minutes past midnight. Illumination was 61% at midnight, will be 55% at noon and 50% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 14:13 this afternoon and moonrise is at 22:52 tonight. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 21 minutes today. The autumnal equinox is tomorrow at 10:44.

The following events are all 22 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 20: ORD

Today is September 20th. It's the 264th day of the year. 102 days remain. It's week 38 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 72 and the normal low is 52. The 29-year averages are 72 and 51.

On the hot side, in 1980 the high was the only 90s and near-record high of 90 (record is 91 set in 1931) with a low of 67. In 1998 the high was 86 with a low of 65. Other warm highs include 85 in 1994, 84 in 1985 and 83 in 2005. Other warm lows were 62 in 2002 and 60 last year. The record warmest low of 73 was set the same year as the record high: 1931. 23 of the 29 highs have been 60s (12) and 70s (11).

The large spreads (differences of 30 degrees or more between the daily high and low) were: 34 degrees in 1983 (78/44), 33 degrees in 1980 (90/67), 31 degrees in 1979 (79/48) and 30 degrees in 2003 (71/41).

On the cool side, in 1991 the high was 60 with the only 30s and record low of 36. In 1982 the only 50s high of 55 with a low of 43 occurred. Two years ago the high was 62 with a low of 42. Another cool high was 60 in 1995. Another cool low was 41 in 2003. The record coolest high of 52 occurred in 1901. 24 of the last 29 lows have been in the 50s (15) and 40s (9).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:11 and sunrise is at 6:39. Sunset is at 18:53 and twilight ends at 19:21. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:12 and sunrise is at 6:40. There's a total of 12 hours, 14 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 10 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 72% at midnight, will be 67% at noon and 61% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 13:05 this afternoon and moonrise is at 21:51 tonight. Moonlight time is 15 hours, 14 minutes today.

The following events are all 23 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 19: ORD

Today is September 19th. It's the 263rd day of the year. 103 days remain. It's week 38 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 73 and the normal low is 53. The 29-year averages are 75 and 55.

On the hot side, in 1985 the high was 87 with a low of 66. In 2002 the high was 80 with a low of 72. In 2000 the high was 87 with a low of 62. In 2005 the high was 84 with a low of 65. Last year the high was 84 with a low of 65. In 1983 the high was 85 with a low of 61. In 1997 the high was 84 with a low of 62. Other hot highs include 87 in 1984, 85 in 1994 and 84 in 1998. The record high of 93 was set in 1955 and the record warmest low of 74 was set in 1908. 13 highs have been 80s, eight have been 70s and six have been 60s.

The large spreads (differences of 30 degrees or more between the daily high and low) were: 34 degrees in 1984 (87/53), 33 degrees in 1999 (80/47) and 30 degrees in 1994 (85/55).

On the cool side, in 1991 the high was 56 with the record low of 40. Two years ago the high was just 55 with a low of 47. In 1992 the high was 65 with a low of 42. Another cool high was 62 in 1990. The record coolest high of 52 occurred in 1938. 13 of the last 29 lows have been in the 50s, eight have been in the 40s and seven have been in the 60s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:10 and sunrise is at 6:38. Sunset is at 18:55 and twilight ends at 19:23. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:11 and sunrise is at 6:39. There's a total of 12 hours, 17 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 13 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 82% at midnight, will be 77% at noon and 72% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 11:50 this morning. Moonrise is at 21:00 tonight. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 50 minutes today.

The following events are all 24 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 18: ORD

Today is September 18th. It's the 262nd day of the year. 104 days remain. It's week 38 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 73 and the normal low is 54. The 29-year averages are 75 and 53.

On the hot side, in 1985 the high was 87 with a low of 67. In 1988 the high was 86 with a low of 67. Last year the high was 88 with a low of 63. In 1983 the high was 84 with a low of 65. Another hot high was 86 in 2000. The record high of 94 was set in 1955 and the record warmest low of 71 was set in 1965. There's almost a parity of highs. 11 have been 80s. Nine have been in the 60s and nine have been in the 70s.

There were several large spreads (differences of 30 degrees or more between the daily high and low). In 2000, the spread was 35 degrees (86/51). 1984 had a spread of 31 degrees (74/43). 1980 had a spread of 31 degrees (75/54). In 1997 the spread was 30 degrees (83/53). In 1986 the spread was a small one of four degrees as the high was 65 with a low of 61.

On the cool side, in 1981 the high was 60 with a low of 40. In 1991 the high was 69 with a low of 42. In 1990 the high was 63 with a low of 49. In 1982 the high was 68 with a low of 45. In 1995 the high was 69 with a low of 44. Other cool lows were 43 in 1984 and 45 in 1980. The record low of 40 was set in 1903 and the record coolest high of 54 was set in 1901. 14 of the last 29 lows have been in the 50s, nine have been in the 40s and six have been in the 60s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:09 and sunrise is at 6:37. Sunset is at 18:57 and twilight ends at 19:25. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:10 and sunrise is at 6:38. There's a total of 12 hours, 20 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 16 minutes between twilights. The moon is waning gibbous. Illumination was 90% at midnight, will be 86% at noon and 82% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 10:33 this morning. Moonrise is at 20:21 tonight and moonset is at 11:50 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 14 hours, 12 minutes today.

The following events are all 25 days away on October 13th: Columbus Day, my parents' 46th wedding anniversary and a brother-in-law, Buddy, will be turning 33. -Bernie-

September 17: ORD

Today is September 17th. It's the 261st day of the year. 105 days remain. It's week 38 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 73 and the normal low is 54. The 29-year averages are 73 and 53.

On the warm side, in 1988 the high was 90 with a low of 67. Other warm highs were 82 (1997, 2003 and two years ago) and 80 (2000, last year). The other warm lows were 66 in 1992 and 64 in 1987. The record high of 93 was set in 1955 and the record warmest low of 71 was set in 1906. 22 of the 29 highs have been 60s (9) and 70s (13). There were also five highs in the 80s and one each in the 50s and 90s.

On the cool side, in 1981 the record coolest high of 51 occurred (the only 50s high so far) with a low of 46 (just a five degree difference with the high). In 1984 the high was 69 with the record low of 37 (a 32 degree spread between the high and low). In 1980 the high was 62 with a low of 45. Other 40s lows were 44 (1983, 1995), 47 in 1999 and 48 in 1990. 19 of the last 29 lows have been in the 50s.

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:08 and sunrise is at 6:36. Sunset is at 18:59 and twilight ends at 19:27. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:09 and sunrise is at 6:37. There's a total of 12 hours, 23 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 19 minutes between twilights. The moon reached full Harvest Monday at 4:13. Illumination was 96% at midnight, will be 93% at noon and 90% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 9:16 this morning. Moonrise is at 19:49 tonight and moonset is at 10:33 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 13 hours, 27 minutes today.

Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship day, is today. This is a newer holiday, having been enacted by Congress just four years ago. The website "www.patriotism.org" says that Constitution Day is "a birthday for our country and it serves as a means for American citizens to express their pride in their citizenship. Constitution Day also designates a time to honor the Constitution of America and learn more about the famous piece of legislation." -Bernie-

September 16: ORD

Today is September 16th. It's the 260th day of the year. 106 days remain. It's week 38 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. Observations have been official at O'Hare since Thursday, January 17, 1980.

According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the normal high is 74 and the normal low is 54. The 29-year averages are 72 and 53.

On the warm side, in 1992 the high was 84 with a low of 70. In 1997 the high was 85 with a low of 65. In 1994 the high was 86 with a low of 63. In 1995 the high was 85 with a low of 61. The record high of 92 was set in 1955 and the record warmest low of 72 was set in 1907. Another warm high was 82 in 2003. Other warm lows were 66 in both 1987 and 1998. There have been 14 highs in the 70s, eight highs in the 60s and five highs in the 80s. Four of the six years from 1992-97 were warm days.

The biggest difference between a daily high and low was 34 degrees in 1985 (high of 76, low of 42). In 2003 the difference was 32 degrees (82/50). In 1997 the difference was 30 degrees (77/47).

On the cool side, in 1984 the high was 64 with the record low of 37. In 1981 the high was 59 (the runner-up earliest 50s high of fall) with a low of 46. In 1982 the high was 61 with a low of 47. In 1993 the high was 59 with a low of 51. In 2000 the high was 67 with a low of 44. The record coolest high of 56 was set in 1959. 22 of the last 29 lows have been in the 40s (11) and 50s (11).

The following astronomical data is provided by the United States Naval Observatory. In Crystal Lake, twilight begins at 6:07 and sunrise is at 6:35. Sunset is at 19:00 and twilight ends at 19:28. Twilight begins tomorrow at 6:08 and sunrise is at 6:36. There's a total of 12 hours, 25 minutes of daylight today and 13 hours, 21 minutes between twilights. The moon reached full Harvest yesterday at 4:13. Illumination was 99% at midnight, will be 98% at noon and 96% at midnight tonight. Moonset is at 8:02 this morning. Moonrise is at 19:22 tonight and moonset is at 9:16 tomorrow. Moonlight time is 12 hours, 40 minutes today.

Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship day, is tomorrow. This is a newer holiday, having been enacted by Congress just four years ago. The website "www.patriotism.org" says that Constitution Day is "a birthday for our country and it serves as a means for American citizens to express their pride in their citizenship. Constitution Day also designates a time to honor the Constitution of America and learn more about the famous piece of legislation." -Bernie-