The city's warming centers will open this week as a winter weather system settles over the Chicago area bringing snow and cold air.
A band of lake effect snow is expected to develop after 8 p.m. Sunday and continue into Monday morning's commute, the National Weather Service said.
Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible by Monday afternoon, meteorologists said. The system will begin Sunday night in the northern suburbs around Waukegan and crawl south toward downtown Chicago by Monday morning.
The system will continue to move south through Oak Lawn and Chicago Heights and dissipate in northwest Indiana by Tuesday morning.
Motorists are advised to be aware of slick roads during their commutes.
Here's a look at the approximate timing of a band of lake effect snow tonight through tomorrow. The worst conditions are expected in the cyan shaded area from tonight into tomorrow morning where the band may remain stationary! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/UrodKkpVIX
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 5, 2025
Snow isn't the only thing expected to fall. Temperatures should plummet by the middle of the work week. Monday and Tuesday's high temps will hover in the mid 20s during the day, while the low temperatures will fall into the teens overnight.
But Wednesday is expected to be colder, with highs of 21 during the day and lows around 9 degrees at night, meteorologists said. A slight warm-up begins Thursday, with temperatures rising to 24 degrees. Friday's high should be near 28 degrees.
The city activates its warming areas at six community service centers when temps are 32 degrees or below, the Office of Emergency Management and Communication said. The centers will be open this week from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The locations are:
Those looking for a place to keep warm can also visit Chicago Public Libraries, Chicago Park District locations and senior centers. Residents can contact 311 on their phone to find their closest warming center.
