Freezing temperatures, snowfall in the forecast for Tuesday
(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
After the coldest New Year’s Day in recorded history, the Chicago area is expected to remain in a deep freeze Tuesday with frigid temperatures, sub-zero wind chills and a chance for snowfall in the forecast.
Sunny conditions and a high temperature of 11 degrees are expected during the daytime hours Tuesday in the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service. An advisory remains in effect until noon as wind chills could to dip as low as -29 degrees.
Meteorologists warned exposed skin could get frostbite in as little as 30 minutes, and hypothermia can occur without a hat and gloves, the Weather Service said.
Tuesday’s forecast also calls for a 40 percent chance of snow in the evening hours, the Weather Service said.
On Monday, the city reached a high of 1 degree, marking a new record for the coldest high temperature on the first day of the year, the Weather Service said. The previous record was 5 degrees in 1969.
The average temperature of -4 degrees was also the coldest average for Jan. 1 in Chicago, lower than the -2.5 degree mark set in 1969, the Weather Service said. The low temperature Monday was -9 degrees.
The extreme cold is expected to stick around until Sunday, when high temperatures in the Chicago area are expected to reach 32 degrees, the Weather Service said.