Temperatures will likely break records Friday morning as arctic air plunges south into Illinois Thursday night.
The Chicago area could see wind chill values of -25 degrees to -40 degrees across northern Illinois.
Friday is expected to be the coldest day for the Chicago area in years.
Here’s how it ranks historically.
The high temperature forecast for this Friday is -1 degree. Only four days have been that cold since 1996.
-1 degree: Dec. 23, 2022
-10 degrees: Jan. 30, 2019 (record minimum high temp is -11 degrees in 1994 & 1983)
-2 degrees: Jan. 6, 2014
-1 degree: Jan. 15, 2009
The forecast low air temperature of -10 degrees Friday morning would break the previous daily record of -4 degrees from 1963 for Jan. 23.
It would also be the lowest temperature in Chicago since Jan. 15, 2024. Chicago has dropped to -10 degrees on 200 other occasions since records began in 1872, but only six times in the past 10 years.
What are the coldest days on record for Chicago?
-27 degrees Jan. 20, 1985 (wind chill was -60 degrees)
-26 degrees Jan. 10, 1982
-25 degrees Jan. 16, 1982 & Dec. 24, 1983
Chicago has reached -20 degrees only 17 times.
