Frigid temps usher in new year in the suburbs

Bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills will usher in the new year in the suburbs and continue throughout the week, the National Weather Service forecast shows.

Temperatures are expected to dip below zero by midnight and drop to minus-8 degrees by 7 a.m. Monday. The last time it was below zero at midnight on Jan. 1 was 1969, when it was minus-8.

Record or near-record cold is predicted for New Year's Day. The all-time recorded low was minus-10 degrees in 1969. Temperatures will top out in the low single digits Monday with wind chills around minus-20 degrees through the day.

As the week progresses, strong arctic high pressure also will be headed this way, according to the weather service. High temperatures will remain in the teens, with lows dipping below zero for most of the week. A break in the chill could come Sunday, when highs will reach into the low 30s, according to the National Weather Service.