Mayor Emanuel and city officials are scheduled to hold a presser around 11:45 a.m. Saturday to address frigid cold temperatures and weather preparedness.
Chicagoans will have woken up Saturday morning to another frigid start to their day with sub-zero wind chills and snow expected to make another round in the area.
The weekend will see little relief in terms of cold, with highs mainly remaining in the single digits, though next week will bring the chance for yet another snowstorm followed by life-threatening cold.
Highs reach the low teens Saturday, with highs likely topping 12 degrees, and a low of 5 degrees.
In addition, little accumulation is expected. Skies become partly cloudy Saturday night with temperatures dropping into the single digits and once again, wind chill values dropping below zero again.
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Over the course of the next seven days, said Mayor Emanuel, part of the city’s approach to the extreme freezing temperatures in the area is a large collaboration with agencies around Chicago, ensuring "all hands on deck."
Emanuel stresses that these severe weather conditions largely “require residents to be part of this effort.”
“Be a good neighbor and check on them,” he said. “All warming areas for the city are staffed and open.”
Experts urge the public to call 311 and/or 911 immediately if in need of a warming station or in need of assistance. Officials say they are fully prepared and equipped, as they are every year, to handle frigid cold temperatures ahead of the work week.
According to the National Weather Service, snow persisted late Friday night, mainly south of I-80, causing some slippery roads.
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It was reported that the official high with only 5 degrees O’Hare Friday was the coldest high since New Year's Day of last year.
Heavier snow is expected by Sunday evening into the overnight hours and into Monday morning.
A Winter Storm Watch goes into effect for Lake and McHenry counties at 9 p.m. Sunday evening as the area will see a wintry mix.
Though the system is still days away, early predictions indicate moderate to heavy snow is possible Monday.
The snow is currently expected to begin late-Sunday and continue throughout the day Monday, potentially bringing as much as six to 10 inches of accumulation to some locations by Monday evening. Heavier snow totals will likely stay north of Chicago, according to Friday forecasts.
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Highs Monday will be in the low- to mid-20s.
After the snow comes another round of brutal cold – this time even worse.
As of Friday, predictions estimate temperature highs near 0 degrees or below with wind chill levels ranging from -30 to -40 degrees, where they will stay again Thursday.
Experts urge to allow for extra travel time and to be extra cautious during these winter weather conditions.
Check back with the NBC 5 Storm Team on this developing forecast.
