Minus 31? Why has it been so cold in Aurora?
It hasn't been easy for anyone to deal with these subzero temperatures besetting the region lately, but according to local meteorologists it's tougher in Aurora than anywhere else.
Every weather report you see or hear shows Aurora easily as the coldest spot in the metropolitan area.
Readings at about 7 a.m. Friday showed Aurora at 31 degrees below zero accompanied by a negative 51-degree wind chill factor. Meanwhile, Chicago's official low was a relatively balmy 18 below, according to the O'Hare Airport weather station's recordings.
Why the disparity?
"Aurora's got the biggest valley, that's why it's the coldest," explained National Weather Service Meteorologist Bill Wilson. "When air sinks, very cold air will settle to the lowest point because it's heavier. It's like anything else that rolls down a hill."
While most people fear the wind in chilly weather, Wilson said the wind can actually make it warmer in Aurora when it's really cold out.
"The wind can blow the cold air right out of the valley, especially if it's coming from the south," he said.
During Friday morning's deep freeze, the wind topped out at 8 miles per hour. That's not fast enough to get the cold air out of the valley, Wilson said.
Folks from Aurora don't seem to mind the notoriety.
"It just proves how tough we are," said city spokeswoman Amy Roth. "It's not like it's all bad, it's been really pretty with all the steam rising off the Fox River."
There's a hitch, though. While the temperature gauge meteorologists rely on for the Aurora data is at the bottom of the valley at the Aurora Airport, the Aurora Airport isn't in Aurora - it's next door in Sugar Grove.
"We'll take any credit we can get," said Sugar Grove Village President Sean Michels. "It's an honor to be recognized for something."
Michels said he's used to hearing about it being colder in his neck of the woods than other suburbs, but he was still surprised to learn just how much colder it got Friday.
"Oh my gosh," he said. "That's probably why the car had a hard time starting this morning, even in the garage."
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=265037">Images from Friday's cold snap </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>