Chicago weathers extreme cold stretch not seen in nearly 30 years
In the Disney classic “Frozen,” Elsa sings “the cold never bothered me anyway,” but even the Snow Queen herself might have something to say about the area’s current cold snap.
That’s because Chicago has been in the clutches of Mother Nature’s icy grip for a stretch it hasn’t experienced in nearly 30 years.
High temperatures in the city have failed to reach 5 degrees or above for three consecutive days for the first time since February 1996, according to the National Weather Service.
Tuesday’s temperatures at O’Hare Airport, where records for the city are collected, hit a high of 2 degrees about 4 p.m., the NWS said.
Monday’s high temperature was also 2 degrees, and Sunday recorded a high of 3 degrees after midnight before temperatures plummeted below zero during daylight hours, the NWS said.
In the 1996 stretch, O’Hare recorded highs of 5 below zero on Feb. 2 and 3, and of 2 degrees on Feb. 4, according to NWS meteorologist Casey Sullivan.
The Chicago area is also currently under a wind chill advisory until 9 a.m. Wednesday, the NWS said, warning of “very cold” wind chills as low as negative 30 that can cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes.
There may be some — albeit slight — relief in the coming days. High temperatures Wednesday should climb to a high of around 18 degrees, the NWS said.
Thursday’s high temps could end up in the low 20s, and Friday’s high is expected to be near 16 degrees.
“It’s still going to be cold, but not nearly as cold as we’ve been,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan also said there is a chance for accumulating snow of about 1 inch Wednesday afternoon. He added there’s a greater chance for another, similar round of snow over much of the area Thursday night into Friday morning.