Northern Illinois Is Looking At Some Stunning Cold This Week

If you stepped outside in Northern Illinois this morning and immediately questioned all of your life choices, you’re not alone.

As I’m writing this, it’s -4 degrees outside my office window, and thanks to a stiff wind, it feels more like -27 degrees. That’s not “grab a heavier coat” cold. That’s “your nose hairs freeze before you reach the car, and your coat is making crunchy noises” cold.

And the bad news? Winter isn’t done flexing this week at all. Forecasters say this blast of Arctic air is expected to hang around through much of the week, with even colder conditions coming as we head toward the weekend. Wind chills well below zero are absolutely going to remain a regular feature, making even quick trips outdoors something you have to mentally prepare for.

Here's What You Can Expect This Week From The Frigid Weather

• As of right now, forecasters are calling for a high temperature today of 4 degrees, followed by an overnight low tonight of -5 degrees.
• Tuesday and Wednesday aren't terrible. Tuesday's high temp will be around 15 degrees, and Wednesday looks like the warmest day of the week with a high temperature of 25.
• Thursday is when the nasty cold roars back, with a high temperature of 19 degrees, but a shocking overnight low of -9 degrees.
• Friday's high temperature is going to be sub-zero at -3 degrees, and Friday's overnight low into Saturday will be -12 degrees. Saturday we'll hit 6 above for the high, and 6 below zero for the low temperature.

None of these forecasted temperatures are factoring in wind-chill, which will drive those cold temps even lower.

Sure, These Temps Are Annoying And Uncomfortable, But They're Also Dangerous

When wind-chills dip below -20 degrees, frostbite can develop on exposed skin in as little as 10 to 15 minutes. That’s why officials keep repeating the same advice every time temperatures plunge: cover up, limit time outdoors, and don’t underestimate how fast your body loses heat in conditions like these.

As miserable as this cold feels, it’s not without precedent around here. Northern Illinois has a long memory when it comes to brutal winters. One of the most infamous examples came in January 2019, when Rockford dropped to -31 degrees and Chicago hit -23. Wind-chills during that outbreak approached -50, shutting down schools, grounding flights, and turning Lake Michigan into a surreal landscape of ice and steam.

Go back a bit further and you’ll hear longtime residents talk about January 1985, when Chicago recorded its coldest temperature ever at -27 degrees. For decades, that number has been the benchmark that every Midwestern winter gets compared to.