A winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday for the entire Chicago area as brutally cold wind chill temperatures of between 35 and 40 degrees below zero and strong, sustained winds gusting up to 45 miles-per-hour continue to create treacherous, icy and potentially "life-threatening" travel conditions as the storm continues to blow from west to east.
And although the snow has tapered off in most locations, Friday is expected to be the most "brutal day" of the storm, NBC 5 Meteorologist Pete Sack says, with considerable blowing snow and dangerous, bitter wind chills that could lead to frostbite conditions, which can form in as little as 10 to 20 minutes.
Live Weather Radar: Track the Storm as it Sweeps Across Chicago, Indiana
"If you must venture outdoors, cover up from head to toe in multiple layers," the National Weather Service said in a tweet early Friday. "Stay indoors if you can."
As of 6 p.m. Thursday, snow totals in the Chicago remained low, with Streator in LaSalle County recording the highest accumulation at 2.5 inches.
Illinois Winter Storm Live Updates: Brutal Cold, Blowing Winds Snarl Roads, Delay Trains, Flights
Further west, however, in Northeast Indiana, black ice and drifting, blowing snow has led to numerous accidents on the roadways. In Porter County, a blizzard warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday, calling for wind gusts up to 55 miles-per-hour, six to 11 inches of snow and potential white-out conditions.
"It's just not safe," said Indiana Police Sergeant Glen Fifield, of driving conditions. "It's literally a life and death decision if you're deciding to travel."
According to the Indiana Sate Police, blowing snow and black ice leading to has become one of the main concerns for drivers.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
More: Metra, CTA Report Freezing Switches, Train Tracking Problems, ‘Mechanical' Failures
As NBC 5's Storm Chaser travels on the Bishop Ford highway heads towards in Indiana, NBC 5 reporter Sandra Torres details that conditions have gotten "much worse" as they approach the border, observing with slick roads and sliding vehicles.
Wind Chill Temperatures and Weekend Forecast
Another threat still exists across Chicago is in the form of the bone-chilling cold, with air temperatures already plunging below zero in most locations. Wind chills overnight dropped to 30-to-40 degrees below zero.
There won’t be much in the way of relief after daybreak, with winds continuing and air temperatures struggling to reach zero degrees. While temperatures are expected to remain at zero, wind chills are expected to remain frigid, ranging from 25-to-35 degrees below zero across the region.
More: As Winter Storm Cancels More Than 500 O'Hare Flights, Some Spend Night at Airport
Winds should slowly start to subside late Friday and into Saturday, but wind chills will likely remain below zero for most of the weekend.
That’s because air temperatures will struggle to break 10 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday and Sunday, making for one of the chilliest Christmases on record in the Chicago area.
Fortunately there is some relief in the forecast, with warmer temperatures expected to arrive by next week. Highs should get back above freezing by Wednesday, and could get even warmer than that as New Year’s Day approaches.
How to Watch Live Weather Updates on our NBC Chicago News Streaming Channel
While officials are urging people to stay off the roads in the lead-up to the holiday weekend, NBC Chicago will offer the latest on the winter storm and travel conditions ahead of the holidays.
Extended coverage will be available on the NBC Chicago streaming channels on Peacock, Roku and Samsung TV, as well as on NBCChicago.com and the NBC Chicago app starting Thursday evening and continuing through Friday afternoon.
Viewers will be able to watch 4 a.m. local news coverage as well as periodic weather updates on the hour throughout the day as the situation unfolds.
Here's the full schedule:
Friday
4-7 a.m. - NBC 5 News
7 a.m. - Extended weather coverage update
8 a.m. - Extended weather coverage update
9 a.m. - Extended weather coverage update
10 a.m. - Weather update with NBC 5 Storm Meteorologist Pete Sack
11 a.m. - NBC 5 News
2 p.m. - Weather update with Brant Miller
3 p.m. - Weather update with Brant Miller
Here's how to watch NBC Chicago News on Peacock:
- First, go to PeacockTV.com or download the free Peacock app for your streaming device, phone or tablet. It's available for iPhone or Android.
- Then, click on the “channels” tab in the app.
- Scroll through the channels to NBC Chicago News.
Here's how to watch NBC Chicago coverage on Roku:
Turn on your Roku device and use one of the following access points:
- Select the Live TV tile on your Roku TV home screen and then click the left arrow button, OR
- Open The Roku Channel app, click the left arrow button to access the left-hand navigation menu, scroll down to Channel 129 and select Live TV
