It’s an arctic outbreak reminiscent of the some of the colder surges in the barbaric winters of the mid and late 1970s—though it’s unlikely to last quite as long. Brutally cold air has spilled off the Canadian tundra and is to tighten its grip on the Chicago area in coming days. The fluffy lake snowflakes, which are falling in the cold air have a volume up to four times the snow which accompanies classic, large-scale winter storms. This means the gusty winds drift such snow easily, making it an especially insidious travel hazard. But, the bitter chill which follows is the real story.
It promises a series of sub-zero nights and the coldest daytime temp readings here since January of 1997. Lows Thursday night dip to -13° in Chicago’s far western suburbs (i.e. the Fox Valley and areas toward DeKalb and Rockford), struggling there just to reach 0° Friday. The chill’s strength is remarkable because it is arriving over bare ground.
-Tom Skilling
