Officials warn of heavy snow, lingering cold for region
CHICAGO (AP) - Warming centers in Chicago were to remain open as temperatures in the city and across the region linger well below freezing.
Some community centers, various public libraries, the Chicago Cultural Center and several park district locations will be open Monday, WBBM-TV reported.
Temperatures in Chicago Monday were expected to reach a high of 12 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-11 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.
Police stations also are available as warming centers.
The city is warning residents that 8-12 inches (20-30 centimeters) of snow was expected through Tuesday. City-operated testing sites for the coronavirus also will be closed Tuesday due to the weather conditions.
The snowfall and cold are part of a winter storm that is sending temperatures plunging across the southern Plains and prompted a power emergency in Texas.
Amid the lengthy deep-freeze, teams of outreach workers fanned out across Chicago over the weekend to offer assistance to homeless people.
'œThese folks are socially isolated by definition,'ť Stephan Koruba, a nurse practitioner with the Night Ministry, told the Chicago Sun-Times. 'œJust for instance, you come up to someone sleeping and you're not even sure they're sleeping under that stack of clothes. You've gotta try to get to them before it becomes dangerous and they lose their life.'ť
Snowfall forced the cancellation of more than 100 flights Monday and caused delays at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, while the sheriff's office in northwestern Indiana's LaGrange County warned of heavy snow and wind gusts that could make travel difficult into Tuesday morning.
A winter storm warning calling for up 9 inches (22 centimeters) of snow was in effect for the Detroit area and a number of other counties across lower and southeastern Michigan.
Mayor Mike Duggan said Monday that 3,000 COVID-19 vaccines scheduled for Tuesday at Detroit's downtown convention center will be moved to Saturday due to the expected storm.