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Some tips for getting through the cold weather

It's going to be a cold week in the suburbs.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for most of Illinois from 6 p.m. this evening through 9 a.m. Tuesday. Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane and McHenry counties are all included in the advisory.

Wind chills could hit -25 tonight, which could cause frostbite on unprotected skin in 30 minutes, meteorologists warn.

Temps are forecast to stay below freezing until Sunday. There's a chance of snow later in the week.

Here are some tips to keep you and your pets safe:

Ÿ Wear a hat and gloves if you must go outside. When it's this cold outside, it doesn't take very long for frostbite to set in. Frostbite symptoms include numbness, tingling, pain and blisters. See a doctor immediately if you think you have frostbite.

Ÿ Make sure to wear several loosefitting layers of clothing to keep warm.

Ÿ Store warm clothes and blankets in your car and make sure your car has plenty of gas in it. Make sure you have working jumper cables in your car. Cold drains the power from car batteries.

Ÿ If you can, keep your pets inside. Animals are susceptible to frostbite, too.

Ÿ If you've got an outside pet, make sure your animal has a warm, draft-free shelter. If you can, move the shelter out of the wind to reduce wind chill.

Ÿ Consider putting a sweater or vest on smaller dogs when you let them outside.

Wind chills to plummet to minus-25

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