Temperatures will warm up slightly on Friday into the low to mid-20's before they take another plunge Saturday as an arctic front moves in.
Early morning Thursday, wind chills were as low as -10 to - 15 degrees and there were light flurries, but the sun will be out for most of the day. The high for Thursday is a bitter 13 degrees.
Temperatures will warm up Friday to the low to mid-20's, which will last until Saturday morning. Throughout the day Saturday temperatures will fall into the low teens, ending with a high of 13 degrees by Sunday.
Light snow is in the forecast in the Chicago metro area on Friday before the cold front moves in Friday night, but most parts of the region will see an inch of accumulation or less.
As temperatures drop Saturday, the Chicago area could experience one of the coldest Valentine's Days on record. The current record was set in 1943 with a high temperature of just 8 degrees.
The coldest temperatures will hit Saturday night with a low of -11 degrees and wind chills as low as -20 degrees. Breezy and bitter conditions will last through the remainder of the weekend.
Temperatures will begin to warm up again early next week with highs in the low to mid-20s.
Local
In northern Indiana and southwest Michigan, parts of the region can expect to see significant snowfall throughout the day Thursday in addition to the bitter cold and wind. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Thursday in parts of the area for several inches of snow. One model predicts up to 7 inches of snow in the heaviest hit parts of the region.
The lake effect snow in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan will stay isolated in that region, and the Chicago area will only experience light dustings Thursday morning and Saturday during the day.
