Bundle up, because Chicago forecast has plenty of cold temperatures ahead

The average high temperature in the Chicago area is right around the freezing mark in January, but that will be a rare sight in coming days.

That’s because the Chicago area is going to be gripped by a prodigious cold snap that will feature wind chills of up to 20-to-25 degrees below zero and multiple chances of snow for the coming week.

Sunday will start out cloudy in the area, but the main event will get underway in the afternoon as snow showers push into the area. While accumulations aren’t expected to amount to much, it could cause visibility concerns on area roadways and could cause slick driving conditions, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.

In addition, wind gusts of 15-to-20 miles per hour could cause more visibility issues in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.

High temperatures Sunday are expected to top out in the upper-teens, with wind chills staying in the single-digits for most of the day.

At 5:30 p.m. the Chicago Bears’ game against the Los Angeles Rams will kick off at Soldier Field, and as expected it’s going to be a chilly night on the lakefront. While air temperatures will still be in the mid-to-upper teens at kickoff, the aforementioned winds will cause wind chills to plummet to right around zero degrees, and the snow showers will also make for a remarkable scene for the NFC Divisional Round game.

The snow will start to taper off in the late evening hours, and overnight lows are expected to drop to the low-single digits, with readings right around zero possible especially in outlying areas, according to forecast models.

The continuing winds will lead to the issuance of a cold weather advisory across all of northern Illinois beginning at 3 a.m. Monday and running through 10 a.m., with dangerously cold wind chills of 20-to-25 degrees below zero at daybreak, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.

Those kind of wind chills can lead to frostbite occurring within 20-to-30 minutes on exposed skin, and residents are urged to take proper precautions when going outside, including wearing warm clothing, hats and gloves.

The high temperatures Monday won’t rebound very much, with highs in the single-digits and wind chills still around 10-to-15 degrees below zero.

Wind chills will still be below zero on Tuesday morning, but air temperatures will rebound slightly, with highs in the low-20s according to forecast models.

Temperatures will be closer to normal on Wednesday with highs in the upper-20s, but that will be accompanied by another chance of snow showers across the Chicago area.

Once that clipper system moves out, Thursday and Friday will once again be cold, with highs in the upper-teens and low-20s, and that will set the stage for yet another frigid weekend ahead, with readings again possibly dropping into the teens or even the single-digits by Saturday and Sunday of next week.

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