Earliest subzero weather in 18 years -- and now more snow

Earliest subzero weather in 18 years -- and now more snow

Staff report and WGN-TV
7:46 AM CST, December 10, 2013

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The temperature dipped below zero overnight at O'Hare International Airport, the earliest that has happened here since 1995. The cold will hold through the week, bringing a burst of snow in time for the morning rush Wednesday.

The temperature fell to one degree below zero around 12:55 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.  That's the earliest subzero readings here since a low of minus 4 on Dec. 9, 1995.

By 7 a.m., the temperature had climbed to 8 degrees at O'Hare but the wind chill was 9 degrees below zero. The coldest temperature -- 4 degrees -- was recorded in Waukegan with a wind chill of minus-16.

Some fast-moving arctic clippers will bring snow across the Chicago area starting tonight, with up to 3 inches of snow possible falling across the area during the morning commute Wednesday.

"Late Tuesday night into Wednesday ... that could drop 2 or 3 inches of snow across the Chicago metro area during the morning rush. It could be a mess waking up Wednesday morning," said Ben Deubelbeiss, a meteorologist with the weather service.

The weather service has issued a winter weather advisory from midnight tonight through 10 a.m. Wednesday. The snow is expected to intensify between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., "with snowfall rates of up to a half-inch per hour possible," the weather service said.

Temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday will top out in the high teens with lows each night in the single digits, he said. It could warm up Thursday and Friday, though high temperatures each day aren't expected to pass 30 degrees.

On Monday night at Soldier Field, arctic temperatures and biting west winds produced the coldest home game for the Bears in five years. The last Bears’ home game played in colder weather was on Dec. 22, 2008. That contest between the Bears and Green Bay Packers began with a 3-degree kick-off temperature.

Monday night was at Soldier Field wasn’t much better. It was 9 degrees at the 7:40 pm kick-off, with a 17 mph westerly wind subjecting fans to a wind chill near 10-below. The temperature continued to drop, reached 4-above before the game ended.