Northern Illinois remains under a Wind Chill Warning

Winter is in full swing across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. After the Rockford Airport saw it's highest snowfall since November of 2018, "high" temperatures Sunday only peaked at -3°.  

Why is that significant? That breaks the previous record cold high of -2° from 1994. Another record that is in jeopardy is our record low for January 15th as temperatures are currently sitting in between -12° to -20°. If Rockford were to touch or dip below -17°, that would tie or break the record. 

Lots of stats I know. But that just shows you the magnitude of this Arctic air mass. Now, a WIND CHILL WARNING remains in effect for all of our northern Illinois counties until 12PM Tuesday.

Wind chills values up both this morning and Tuesday morning will range from -25° to -35°.  So if have to be out and about either morning, do your best to adjust your schedule so that you can avoid being outside during the coldest part of the day.  

If you can't, layer up and cover as much exposed skin as possible. Frostbite in this type of extreme cold could occur in as few as 10 minutes. 

Once the wind chill warning expires, a WIND CHILL ADVISORY will take it's place. This will be for Green, Rock, and Walworth County in S. Wisconsin as well as Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Ogle, Lee, and DeKalb County in N. Illinois. This will run from 12PM Tuesday to 9AM Wednesday morning.

Wind chills under the advisory will range from -15 to -30° Not only is it important to keep you and your loved ones safe from the cold, keeping your fur-babies in mind is also important.

Just like we say when we see the extreme heat spill in during the summer, pets are family too. Make sure to limit their time outdoors as well as making sure they have plenty of food and water.

Highs come Wednesday and Thursday will reach the lower teens, then drop back below 0 Thursday night as more Arctic air filters in. 

This will once again leave us in the single digits Friday and Saturday, with overnight lows falling well below-zero. Believe it or not, there is a light at the end of the tunnel as long-range outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center showcase above-average temperatures towards the end of January.  

  

What is considered above-average? 

We typically see temperatures heading back in the direction of the 30-degree mark.