The Chicago area is seeing its coldest temperatures of the season as residents wake up Sunday, and it’s going to take a few days for any sort of relief to arrive in the forecast.
According to forecast models, high temperatures likely won’t get above zero degrees in the area on Sunday, with Chicago set to record a high of around minus-4.
What’s worse, wind gusts are expected to continue to reach 20-to-30 miles per hour, and that is going to drive wind chills into the 25-to-35 degrees below zero range, enough to cause frostbite in as little as 10-to-30 minutes.
A wind chill warning will remain in effect until noon across the area, with a wind chill advisory then lasting until 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Winds will ease very slightly by Monday, with temperatures potentially creeping back into positive territory, but lows will still drop below zero each night to start the new week.
Tuesday winds will pick back up, but will begin to shift slightly, leading to a slow-evolving warming pattern across the area.
So when will the city finally begin to see some relief from the bitter cold?
Local
Winds are going to gradually shift by Tuesday and into Wednesday, putting an end to the worst of the frigid wind chills. Air temperatures are expected to slowly start to rebound Wednesday, with highs in the upper-teens to low-20s, with slightly warmer readings each day.
There will be a chance of snow on both Thursday and Friday, but accumulations will be light, with only an inch or two of snow expected, according to forecast models.
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By Saturday that snow will clear out and the warming trend will continue.
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest weather updates.
