Wind chill advisory until noon today
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory until noon today, with a second wind chill advisory starting at 6 p.m. and ending at noon on Saturday.
Wind chills Friday morning could dip as low as minus 20 degrees.
Temperatures were expected to gradually climb over the weekend, with highs of 13 degrees Saturday, 28 degrees Sunday, and 28 degrees by Monday, forecasters say.
Despite the cold temperatures, a number of suburban schools are back in session Friday.
Elgin Area Unit District U-46 and Naperville Unit District 203 are among the districts with messages posted online Thursday night that schools would be open Friday. However, district officials also cautioned that weather conditions could change, and they may change their minds.
"We will continue to monitor the forecast and weather activity and will notify all parents in the morning if the weather worsens and we decide to close schools," according to the message on U-46's website.
For a complete list of school closings, visit emergencyclosingcenter.com.
O'Hare International Airport is reporting delays of 2 hours with 465 flights canceled since snow began falling Thursday. Midway is also reporting delays of 2 hours, but only canceled 110 flights.
People are urged to contact their airlines to determine flight status.
Metra is reporting minor delays on some trains. The most significant is train 1201, scheduled to arrive Naperville at 6:55 a.m., has terminated in Lisle due to weather conditions. Train #1205, scheduled to arrive Aurora at 7:26 a.m., will accommodate passengers.
Metra passengers are able to review delays at the Metra website.
The Forest Preserves of Cook County announced Thursday night that sledding hills, snowmobiling areas and a groomed cross-country skiing area would be closed Friday due to the extreme cold temperatures, and officials encouraged residents to stay inside.
Sledding hills number 4 and 5 at Deer Grove in Palatine and snowmobiling at Ned Brown Meadow in Rolling Meadows were among the suburban sites scheduled to be closed.