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Chicago records coldest Valentine’s Day temp in nearly half a century

Updated  February 14, 2020 10:40am CST
Winter Weather
Sun-Times Media Wire

1 p.m. forecast for Chicagoland on February 14th

FOX 32's Kaitlin Cody has your Valentine's Day afternoon weather forecast and a look ahead at the weekend.

CHICAGO - Chicago residents woke up Friday to subzero temperatures on Valentine’s Day that were the coldest in 47 years.

The city recorded minus 2 degrees shortly before sunrise at O’Hare International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.

That’s one degree cooler than the city experienced in 1943 — and was also the coldest day so far this season.

But it’s still well above the coldest recorded Valentine’s Day on record in 1905, when the city saw temperatures of minus 11.

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“Without much cold to this magnitude this winter, here is a reminder to dress accordingly,” the weather service said in a statement.

But the bitter cold won’t last long.

(Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Temperatures will rise to a high of 14 to 18 degrees on Friday, according to the weather service.

The subzero temps follow a Wednesday night snowstorm that dumped 4 inches of snow at Midway and 3.5 inches at O’Hare international airports.

Temperatures will rebound by Saturday into the 30s, with a chance of snow to accompany it.

The City of Chicago has warming centers for those in need:

DFSS Warming Centers
9 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday

Englewood Center
1140 W. 79th Street
Chicago, IL 60621

Garfield Center
10 S. Kedzie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60612

King Center
4314 S. Cottage Grove
Chicago, IL 60653

North Area
845 W. Wilson Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640

South Chicago
8650 S. Commercial Ave.
Chicago, IL 60617

Trina Davila
4312 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60639

(DFSS Warming Centers are not open on weekday holidays unless specifically indicated. Hours and days may be extended under extreme conditions. Also, other City facilities might be designated  for warming purposes during off hours, That is why it is important to call 3-1-1  for information concerning Warming Center locations, especially during off hours and  on weekday holidays)