Chicago Weather About To Take A Turn For The Brutally Cold, 'Life-Threatening' Conditions Ahead

#ChiBeria? City Prepares For Near-Record Brutal Cold After More Snow

Snowy, cold, windy weather in Chicago already caused nearly 1,200 flight cancelations Sunday morning -- and the weather is only supposed to get worse from there.

DNAinfo Chicago reports that up to 8 inches of snow fell in the Chicago area Saturday evening into Sunday and that another 1 to 3 inches could fall Sunday before the snow finally tapers off.

While the snow continues, the temperature is expected to slowly drop throughout the day. By 6 p.m., a wind chill warning will go into effect as winds pick up and the deep freeze begins.

Richard Castro of the National Weather Service coined the term ChiBeria to describe the "life-threatening" conditions ahead in the Windy City, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

"People should postpone any non-emergency travel during this period of dangerous cold," Castro told the paper.

The high temperature on Monday is expected to top out at a mere 10 degrees below zero, according to the Chicago Weather Center blog. That's very close to the lowest high temperature ever recorded in Chicago of -11 degrees, recorded on both Jan. 18, 1994 and Dec. 24, 1983.

Tuesday is expected to be slightly warmer, with a high approaching zero or a few degrees above zero before highs return to the lower 30s by the end of the week, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Meanwhile, the city has extended the hours of its warming centers, which will be open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, Chicagoist notes. For more information on the warming centers, call 311.

UPDATE: 5:40 p.m. -- Chicago Public Schools announced early Sunday evening that it reversed its previous decision and will close Monday due to the extreme cold, according to NBC. No updates yet on whether the district will remain open Tuesday.

In addition to some 1,200 flights canceled at O'Hare, another 60 were canceled at Midway.

Before You Go

Chicago Hit With Snow, Extreme Cold

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot