As the Windy City experiences a biting cold spell, with wind chills dipping to hazardous lows, the immediate response has been the closure of multiple Chicago-area schools in favor of e-learning alternatives. Students at Chicago Public Schools are off for a "School Improvement Day," with only staff members expected to brave the cold for work, according to Fox32 Chicago. Residents face a sunny but frigid Tuesday, with a high near 2 degrees and a wind chill of -26.
The city's weather forecast indicates a slight chance of flurries before noon, giving way to clearer skies. Residents tonight can expect increasing clouds with temperatures making a tepid rise to around 5 degrees by early morning, despite a still-harsh wind chill of around -17, as per the National Weather Service. Today's extreme cold has placed an Extreme Cold Warning into effect for northwestern counties throughout the morning. At the same time, the rest of the day promises not much relief with temperatures barely above zero and a pervasive wind chill maintaining its sting well below zero.
Looking ahead, Wednesday is predicted to mark the starting point of a modest warming trend that will push afternoon temperatures into the 20s. However, the day may bring light snow, potentially accumulating up to an inch, the National Weather Service reports. Thursday is expected to introduce slightly warmer temps, inching towards the upper 20s, with an outside chance of flurries, mainly in the morning hours. The weekend looks more forgiving, with forecasts predicting temperatures nudging closer to the freezing point and negligible precipitations on the horizon.
In addition to school closures, many warming centers have opened across Chicago, providing refuge from the frosty grasp of the outdoors. Such havens include all Community Service Centers operational between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., with extended hours at the Garfield Community Service Center until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, providing much-needed warmth to citizens during this bitter weather. For the elderly, 21 Senior Centers are available, and 78 Chicago Public Library branches along with 75 Chicago Park District locations welcome residents during operating hours, and a list of these can be found at Chicago.gov/Seniors and chipublib.org respectively, according to Fox32 Chicago. Additionally, the Chicago Cultural Center at Renaissance Court offers space from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. At the same time, the city's 22 police districts also serve as warming centers for those seeking shelter from the polar air.
