-15 recorded at O'Hare at 7 a.m. breaks existing low set on this date in 1894 and 1988
The warnings from government officials were stern: stay inside if you can, limit your time outside and don't drive unless absolutely necessary.
Temperatures in the wake of a stubborn weather pattern that dropped several inches of snow could be summed up in a single word: brutal. At 7 a.m., O'Hare International Airport recorded a temperature of -15, breaking a record low of -14 set on this date in both 1894 and 1988. By 8:30 a.m., the official Chicago temperature had dipped another degree, to -16.
With the wind chill factored in, Monday's temperatures were predicted to be in the -40 to -50 degree range and even lower across the Fox Valley. By midday, the lowest recorded wind chill was in Aurora, at -47 degrees. DuPage and Porter recorded -46 degrees and O'Hare reported -42 degrees.
A Wind Chill Warning that began at 6 p.m. Sunday was scheduled to remain in effect until noon Tuesday.
There's also a possibility that even the high temperature for the Chicago area could set a new record low. The all-time lowest high temp was -11 on Jan. 18, 1994, and Dec. 24, 1983.
The last time O'Hare recorded a sub-zero high was Jan.15, 2009, with -1 degrees, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.
For comparison, Monday's forecasted high for Barrow, Alaska was 0 degrees.
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Source:
http://www.nbcchicago.com/weather/stories/Dangerous-Cold-Temps-Chicago-238467651.html#ixzz2pgKCavfA