Dangerous Cold: How to prepare for winter storms, extreme cold | Winter driving tips | Health, safety tips | Protecting your pets | What you need in your car | What you need to do at home | Chicago Warming Centers
Winds are expected to range between 25 and 35 mph, with gusts reaching up to 50 mph, according to National Weather Service forecasts. That could lead to blowing and drifting snow, especially in open areas.
ABC7 Meteorologist Mike Caplan says one to two inches of fresh snow will fall Friday evening, and more could fall on Sunday. That snow will be followed by another bitter blast of arctic air and dangerous cold.
Monday's high will hover around minus 5 degrees, and the day's low could fall to minus 19 degrees, with a wind chill between minus 25 and minus 35 during the day.
Metra warns of delays, Abt cancels deliveries
Metra is already warning about possible delays for the Monday commute, when wind chills could plunge to 30 below zero. The transit company said it will continue to combat "extraordinary weather conditions" that could create unanticipated delays or service disruptions.
According to the Metra service alert, additional engineering and mechanical personnel will be working over the weekend to keep switches operational and trains ready for service.
"When it gets this cold we have to operate at slower speeds. We expect boarding of passengers to take just a bit longer," Metra spokesperson Michael Gills said.
Metra passengers should allow for extra time.
Extra time is what commuter Carly Novak has come to expect during the cold.
"I live towards the Wisconsin border and I've had some, many three and four hour commutes one way," Novak said.
The cold weather forecast led Abt Electronics to postpone deliveries for thousands of customers.
"For our drivers and our customer, it's the best idea," Rafal Stachurski, general manager at Abt, said.
The Frozen Lakefront Half Marathon will go on as scheduled Saturday, according to organizers.
