Arctic air to drop wind chill to minus-20, bring snow for Sunday's Bears game ahead of more cold

Arctic air could bring wind chills more than 20 degrees below zero Sunday night and into Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

The Bears will get a dusting of snow for their playoff game at Solder Field that will start right around sunset — or kickoff, for football fans — according to National Weather Service meteorologist Brett Borchardt. The city could see about 1-2 inches of fluffy snowfall.

The northwest portion of the state is slated to see even colder windchills, with some dipping past minus-25 Sunday night. The weather service warned of the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite after less than 30 minutes of exposure to the evening’s temperatures.

The winter weather could make for more ice and slippery roads, as well as lowered visibility, so Borchardt said travelers should take care while getting around while the system is in the area.

“Roads could get pretty slippery, so we don't want people letting their guard down,” Borchardt said. “Certainly during the game we’re expecting snow to be falling.”

It will extend into Monday morning, with windchills remaining around 20 below even into 7 or 8 a.m. Monday, Borchardt said. While it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, meaning many are off from work or school, he cautioned those who do have to head out into the cold to bundle up.

On Sunday, the city will also open its warming shelter at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Chicago Public Library and park district locations will be available as city warming centers while they are open. Chicago Police districts will also serve as 24-hour warming shelters. The Kedzie location will also be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday during the holiday, in addition to the park district and CPD locations.

Normal city warming center hours will resume for all previously listed locations Tuesday, with the city's senior centers opening for seniors from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and City Colleges of Chicago buildings also serving as warming centers.

The cold also prompted Cook County to add its three courthouses — Skokie, at 5600 Old Orchard Rd.; Maywood, at 1500 Maybrook Dr.; and Markham, at 16501 S. Kedzie Ave. — to its list of warming shelters. The courthouses will be open 24 hours through 8 a.m. Wednesday, and food, water and restrooms will be provided to those seeking shelter, who are able to bring pets in carriers.

A slight reprieve from the temperatures will build gradually from Monday’s high of 10, to 20 on Tuesday and 30 on Wednesday, before dropping back into the 20s. Sunday night’s low of 5 degrees will carry over into Monday, peaking at 18 degrees Tuesday night, leading up to Wednesday’s slightly warmer weather.

More snow could be slated for later in the week — Borchardt and his colleagues are still assessing the exact track of the storms, which can be elusive until they arrive — as well as another push of Arctic air next weekend that could bring even lower temperatures than Sunday night.

“The exact track is something we’ll have to nail down,” Borchardt said. “[But] keep those jackets handy — it’s going to be a wintery week in Chicago.”