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Chicago Is 30 Degrees Colder Than Alaska Today

Chicago is 30 degrees colder than Anchorage, Alaska, on Tuesday, as the Windy City more than lives up to its name with life-threatening and potentially record-breaking cold temperatures.

The highest temperature reached in Chicago Tuesday was before dawn, when it was 8 degrees. Temperatures began plummeting Tuesday morning, with a daytime high of just 3 degrees expected in the afternoon.

In contrast, the daytime high in Anchorage is a balmy 34 degrees - meaning it's expected to be more than 30 degrees warmer in Alaska's largest city than it is in Chicago.

A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for the entire Chicago area, including northwest Indiana, until 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, when it becomes a Wind Chill Warning.

The Wind Chill Warning lasts through Thursday at 12 p.m., with dangerous wind chill conditions expected.

While the daytime high may reach 3 degrees in Chicago, the temperatures will plummet in the afternoon and evening. Winds of 10 to 20 mph, and gusts of 35 mph, will create wind chill readings between -20 and -35 degrees on average.

But that's still not the coldest Chicago will be this week. Overnight, temperatures drop to -18 in the city and -25 inland by dawn, with wind chill readings between -45 to -55 across the area.

The forecast high temperature for Wednesday in Chicago is -15 degrees. If that forecast holds true, it will mark the coldest high temperature the city has seen since Jan. 20, 1994, when temperature highs were at -11 degrees.

The life-threatening cold in Chicago continues into Thursday, as temperatures in the morning are forecasted to be between -20 and -30 with little to no wind. The afternoon becomes cloudy and less bitter with light snow developing, and highs reaching -5 inland to 5 above in the city.

Temperatures finally climb above zero Friday morning, recovering into the teens by the afternoon. The weekend ahead is a recovery with highs into the mid-30s and even low 40s, much closer to the tropical conditions in Anchorage.

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