A Wind Chill Advisory was issued for the Chicago area at 4am local time (10am GMT) and will be in effect until 6pm Tuesday (12am Wednesday GMT). It will be upgraded to a Wind Chill Warning later on Tuesday. The Wind Chill Warning will then remain in effect until noon on Thursday.
How far will temperatures plunge in Chicago?
Today (Tuesday), wind chills are expected to be between -15C to -30C, with a high of 3 degrees and a low of -22C, and it is expected to only get colder from there.
Wednesday’s expected high, -13C, and wind chills will make it feel like as much as 50 degrees below freezing. It has the potential to be the second coldest day in Chicago history.
The record for the coldest day in Chicago was December 24, 1983, with an average temperature of -18 degrees Celsius recorded at O’Hare.
Wednesday could be as cold as -15.5C or -16C, which could make it the second or third coldest day in Chicago’s recorded history.
Read More: Chicago weather ALERT: Polar Vortex sparks LIFE-THREATENING FREEZE
The coldest temperature ever recorded in Chicago was -27C on January 20, 1985.
The coldest high temperature ever recorded in Chicago was -11C on December 24, 1983, and January 18, 1994.
Governor JB Pritzker said on Tuesday he has issued a disaster proclamation for the entire state.
“This storm poses a serious threat to the well-being of people around the state, and we will use every tool at our disposal to keep our residents safe,” said Mr Pritzker.
“This disaster proclamation ensures that the state of Illinois has the flexibility to effectively and efficiently respond to the needs of local governments during this extreme weather event.”
Chicago Public Schools announced they will close schools Wednesday due to the cold.
The temperatures could present a hazard for children travelling to and from school, CPS said.
CPS buildings will also be closed Wednesday due to the weather and all after-school activities are cancelled.
Whilst the Midwest is the hardest hit area, other US states are also feeling the chill.
A blast of arctic-chilled air from the polar vortex is the cause for the dangerous, record-setting cold which is impacting a wide swath of the eastern United States on Tuesday.
This stretches from the Dakotas through Maine, with snow expected as far south as Alabama and Georgia.
Cities in the Midwest have opened warming shelters as temperatures plummeted well below zero degrees Fahrenheit (minus 17.8 degrees Celsius).