Biting wind chills and dangerously low temperatures are expected to continue through midweek across the Chicago area, with city’s collection site recording 10 degrees below zero Monday morning.
A wind chill advisory remains in place and is expected to be lifted at 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. High temperatures Monday range from minus 6 to 1, with wind chills hitting 35 to 15 degrees below zero.
The freezing air mass is the coldest Chicago has seen in five years, with the last comparable cold snap in January 2019.
“But in terms of magnitude similar to this, you would probably have to go back to 2014,” said meteorologist Ricky Castro.
Wind chills are not expected to rise above minus 10 until Wednesday afternoon. The milder temperatures will continue Thursday before another shot of arctic air hits the region this weekend, the weather service said.
Up to 1 inch of snow is possible south of Interstate 80 Monday night, which could make for slick travel conditions. The coldest weather in the evening is expected in interior northern Illinois, while the warmest will be south of Kankakee River, according to the weather service. The ongoing bitter cold could continue to cause ice jams in flood-prone areas.
A light dusting of snow is also predicted Thursday night through Friday morning, Castro said. Snow is more likely to accumulate in the southern suburbs.
“With how cold the temperatures are, that could be problematic for the Friday morning commute,” Castro said. “There’s still uncertainty on how exactly that plays out.”
The second blast of arctic air, expected to arrive Friday, will keep temperatures in the single digits over the weekend. The wind chill is anticipated to be less slightly severe, ranging from minus 20 to minus 10.
People are urged to stay inside amid the freezing weather, which can cause frostbite to exposed skin in just 10 to 30 minutes. The weather service advised those who do venture out to wear multiple loose, warm layers of clothing.
The city announced that the Garfield Community Shelter would be open 24/7 to connect residents to emergency shelters. The Harold Washington, Sulzer, Woodson and Legler Libraries will also be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the holiday as warming centers. After the holiday, all six of the city’s community service centers will be open as warming centers.
Chicago Public Schools said that all events in school buildings for Martin Luther King Jr. Day would be canceled due to the extreme cold. School officials added that they will continue to monitor Tuesday’s forecast.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also announced that the enforcement of his 60-day migrant shelter limit policy would be delayed until at least Jan. 22.