As Chicago braces for a cold snap, residents are being advised to prepare themselves for a weekend of subzero temperatures that look to dip well below the seasonal average, according to weather forecasts.
The National Weather Service predicts that today will have partly sunny skies with the mercury climbing to around 30 degrees, the windy conditions contributing to a chill factor that will become quite the topic of conversation as Chicagoans layer up. A slight chance of flurries could cap off the evening, and temperatures are expected to plummet to lows around 8 degrees, introducing a wave of frigid air that will be the harbinger for the weekend freeze.
Looking to Saturday's outlook, "Snow likely, mainly after noon," indicates the National Weather Service, with a further note, stating, "cloudy, with a steady temperature around 11." However, the cold won't just be felt in the air, as wind chill values might drop to as low as -5 degrees – a stark reminder of winter's bite. Fox 32 Chicago echoes these sentiments, noting that by Saturday night, the city could experience wind chills of negative twenty, potentially triggering a cold weather advisory from the weather service.
Sunday's forecast offers little in the way of respite, featuring sunny skies that belie the extreme cold Chicagoans will be experiencing. According to Fox 32 Chicago, this might indeed make the upcoming Bears game "one of the coldest ever played at Soldier Field." Stay tuned for the forecast on Monday, which heralds the retreat of the arctic blast but advises us to keep the winter wardrobe on hand, with expectations of highs inching only into the mid or upper 20s.
In the days following, the grip of the icy weather should begin to loosen. A gradual increase in temperatures is anticipated, with the latter half of the week warming into the manageable 40s. There’s even potential for the thermometer to edge toward 50 degrees before the next weekend provides a reprieve from the cold.
