Arctic front arrives, watch for coldest temperatures in years

Several rounds of potentially dangerous winter weather are expected throughout the next seven days, the National Weather Service in Chicago reports.

A strong arctic front beginning Thursday afternoon will bring high winds and low temperatures causing windchills between -20 and -30 overnight, according to NWS. There’s also a chance for some light snow, but the real danger is the bitter cold which could cause frostbite within 30 minutes.

Typically, this type of cold front quickly brings the coldest temperatures of the season. The next storm system meteorologists are watching is expected to come in Sunday night, but it’s too early to determine how much snow it might bring.

Then finally, there are early indications that another dangerous period of cold will come in the middle of next week. So cold, that temperatures could hit lows that haven’t been seen in years. Stay prepared and get familiar with winter city resources.

Chicago’s lowest temperature ever was -27 degrees on January 20, 1985 and the coldest windchill was -82 on December 24, 1983. Ouch, let’s hope next week it’ll just hover around zero.

• City resources to help with Chicago’s brutal winter [Curbed Chicago]