“Bitterly cold” temperatures are expected to sweep the Chicago area Saturday night with wind chills as low as 25 below zero, the National Weather Service warned.
A cold weather advisory remains in effect from 8 p.m. Saturday to noon Sunday in northern and central Illinois and northwest Indiana.
Chicago weather: Bitter temperatures and subzero wind chills on tap for the weekend
The weather service said wind chills are expected to fall between minus 15 and minus 25 degrees Saturday night, with the coldest conditions in northwest Illinois. They’re expected to remain below zero on Sunday.
As for Sunday, when the Chicago Bears face off against the Cleveland Browns in one of the coldest games ever held at Soldier Field at noon, forecasters anticipate temperatures climbing to a frosty 12 degrees, with the lows dipping back down into the single digits by nightfall.
The “dangerously cold wind chills” can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, the weather service warned. They recommended using caution when traveling outside and wearing appropriate clothing, including a hat and gloves.
As a precaution, some suburbs canceled activities and holiday fare planned for the weekend.
Several warming centers are available across the city Saturday and Sunday, including libraries and Chicago Park District locations, the city said in a news release. The Garfield Community Service Center, located at 10 South Kedzie Ave., is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Chicago Police Department districts are open 24 hours a day.
Temperatures are expected to rise back into the 30s and potentially 40s by the middle of next week, the weather service said.
Chicago has experienced what the weather service dubbed the “quickest start to winter” since 1978 after unusually high snowfalls in recent weeks.
