Arctic cold gripped the entire Chicago area Tuesday morning, with "feels-like" temperatures near -30 degrees as extreme cold warnings and cold advisories swept across the region.
As of 5:20 a.m., temperatures across Northeastern Illinois were below zero, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, with readings ranging from -5 to -10 degrees. Wind chills were even colder, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, with "feels-like" temperatures of -29 in DeKalb, -27 in DuPage and Morris, -24 in Waukegan and -20 in Kankakee.
"Bundle up from head to toe" NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said early Tuesday morning. "The Arctic cold will peak this morning....We are in the heart of the brutal cold right now."
Frostbite
According to the National Weather Service, an extreme cold warning was in effect until 12 p.m. for Lake, McHenry, DeKalb, Kane and LaSalle Counties in Illinois, and Kenosha County in Wisconsin. In those parts, dangerously cold wind chills around 30 degrees below zero "could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes."
In DuPage, Cook, Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee Counties in Illinois and across parts of Northwest Indiana, a cold weather advisory was in effect until 2 p.m., the NWS said.
"The coldest wind chills are expected through this morning," the NWS said. "Winds chills down between -20°F to -35°F can be expected area wide under this arctic air mass. If you must go out: cover all exposed skin as frostbite can occur in under 20-30 minutes."
Weather
An arctic air mass combined with blustery winds will result in dangerous wind chills as low as -20F to -35F this morning. Cold conditions will then continue into Wednesday morning with wind chills in around -10F to -20F expected. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/uviXcu5aTR
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 21, 2025
Chicago-area school closures, flight cancellations
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The dangerous cold has already moved more than 100 Chicago-area schools, colleges and daycares to close or shift to e-learning plans Tuesday.
According to Chicago Public Schools 2024-25 calendar, CPS students had an already scheduled day off Tuesday for "Teacher Institute Day."
As of 5:30 a.m., more than 40 flights at O'Hare International Airport were canceled, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. NBC 5 reporter Lisa Chavarria said inside the airport, it didn't feel much warmer.
"Employees even have their coats, hats and gloves on," Chavarria said. "With it being -7 here, it's frigid inside."
Tuesday's high temperature in the afternoon will be in the single digits for most areas, Roman said, with wind chills easing up slightly, between -10 and -20. Some relief was on the way Wednesday, with highs in the 20s, Roman said.
"A high of 25 will feel a lot warmer than the -25 we are feeling right now," Roman said, of Wednesday's conditions.
Wednesday could also see chances for scattered snow showers "at any point of the day," Roman said, though totals aren't expected to be more than an inch
By the weekend, temperatures will be above-average, Roman said, climbing into the 30s.