UPDATE: Latest forecast as wind chill warnings come to an end can be found here.
Nearly all of the Chicago area Tuesday was under either a wind chill warning or advisory as dangerous, brutal cold leading to school closures, frozen pipes and more grips the region for at least one more day.
And though milder temperatures are on the horizon, temperatures in the teens and bitter wind chills are expected to remain in the forecast through the end of the week.
Here's a breakdown of Tuesday's Chicago weather forecast, and what's next.
Wind chill warnings for Chicago area
A wind chill warning remains in effect for nearly all of the Chicago area, including Lake, McHenry, DeKabl, Kane, DuPage, Central Cook, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy and Northern Will county.
In those parts, wind chill values are expected to drop between -15 and -25 degrees below zero, with values as low as -35 in some parts.
Local
"The lowest wind chills will be at night and during the morning," an alert from the National Weather Service said.
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At 5 a.m., wind chill temperatures clocked in around -24 degrees at O'Hare International Airport, the NBC 5 Storm Team said. Around 7 p.m., those wind chill temperatures are expected to be around -20.
According to the National Weather Service, that warning will expire at noon Tuesday and switch over to a wind chill advisory, which will last through Wednesday morning.
Kankakee county in Illinois, along with Porter, Northern LaPorte, Newton Counties in Indiana, and Kenosha County in Wisconsin were all under wind chill advisories through 9 a.m. Wednesday.
"The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes," the NWS warned.
How cold will it be?
Tuesday will be sunny, with temperatures expected to hover around 0 degrees, with a high of 1 or 2 degrees, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said. Wednesday, temperatures are expected to improve slightly, with highs in the teens as the week continues.
"Still cold, but not as brutal Wednesday afternoon," Roman said.
According to an alert from the NWS, bitter cold wind chill values could return by the end of the week, although temperatures are expected to remain in the teens as the week goes on.
Additionally, such frigid temperatures this week are expected to lead to ice formation on area rivers, "leading to a continued threat for ice jams and associated flooding," the NWS said.
Snow in the forecast
While Tuesday is expected to remain dry, a weak disturbance is expected to pass through Wednesday, mainly to the south and southwest, Roman said.
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Late Thursday into Friday, another round of snow could arrive, bringing 1-2 inches of accumulation across the area, Roman added.
Warmer temperatures in the forecast
According to Roman, there's a high probability that the Chicago area could see above-average temperatures towards the end of the month.
The NBC 5 Storm Team's 8-14 day temperature outlook shows that above average temperatures are likely to occur between January 23-29.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, the average temperature for those days is between 31 and 32 degrees. Forecast models show that temperatures eventually reaching into the low 40s is expected, however, with a high of 34 degrees Monday, 39 degrees Tuesday and 41 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday.
"That's like a mini heat wave," Roman said.
