Dozens of Illinois Places Will See -20 Below Wind Chills Tuesday

The good news is this won't last long. The bad news is it will be brutally cold while it does. Dozens of Illinois places should plan now to expect to experience -20 below wind chills early Tuesday morning.

The National Weather Service in Chicago, Illinois is sounding the alarm about temperatures this week with a special focus on early Tuesday morning, February 18, 2025. This is the graphic they shared today which lists dozens of locations around Illinois that will see sub-zero wind chills.

What are the dangers of -20 below wind chills?

If you're outside even for just 15 to 30 minutes, you could experience hypothermia and frostbite. Where you live could be in danger, too, as pipes will easily freeze and bust if no water is moving through them during episodes like this. It's even possible that Illinois will see ice jams in some rivers that could cause some localized flooding.

Now, for the good news. After living through bitterly cold temperatures through Friday, Illinois will get a break this weekend as highs should be in the 30's by Saturday and 40's by Sunday. I'm hearing that highs in the 50's will arrive next week which will feel like 70 compared to what we'll see over the next few days.