While snow will slowly taper off in most locations around the Chicago area, the focus will soon turn to the dangerous cold and ferocious winds that will grip the region in the coming days.
A winter storm warning will remain in effect for northern Illinois and northwest Indiana through Saturday morning, not because of snow but because of wind chills plunging to nearly 40 degrees below zero and wind gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour.
Snow will continue in parts of northwest Indiana, including Porter and LaPorte counties. In LaPorte County, a “travel warning” has been issued, with residents asked to stay off roads because of dangerous conditions.
Those treacherous travel conditions will continue overnight across the entire region, with near-whiteout conditions expected as strengthened winds blow around snow and cause drifting and visibility issues on roadways.
The National Weather Service says that “near-blizzard conditions” can be expected, especially in open areas, and that threat is expected to continue after daybreak on Friday.
Another threat still exists in the form of the bone-chilling cold, with air temperatures already plunging below zero in most locations. Wind chills overnight could drop to 30-to-40 degrees below zero, and in those types of conditions, frostbite can set in rapidly on exposed skin, leading officials to urge residents to remain indoors as much as possible.
There won’t be much in the way of relief after daybreak, with winds continuing and air temperatures struggling to reach zero degrees. Wind chills are expected to remain frigid, ranging from 20-to-30 degrees below zero across the region.
Local
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.
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.
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.
For all the latest weather information, download the NBC Chicago app, or tune into the NBC 5 Storm Team’s forecasts on our newscasts beginning at 4 a.m.
