Chicago Weather: Kids back at school; commuters back on schedule

January 29, 2014 (NAPERVILLE, Ill.)

Temps are expected to rise to the upper teens Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

"Anything above 10 is going to be pretty balmy," Michael Steele said. "So I may just wear a T-shirt and jeans."

It might feel like t-shirt weather, compared to earlier this week, but winter is far from over. This cold can take a toll on the mind and the body, especially your skin.

"I always recommend to my patients that you try to find a line of something that is good for the face. Gentle exfoliation to get rid of dead cells and moisturizing is so important," Dr. Jennifer Earvolino, Rush University Medical Center, said.

Dr. Earvolino recommends moisturizing at least twice a day, using sunscreen, and drinking eight glasses of water each day. She said people should be careful walking because muscles tend to stiffen in the cold.

Many Chicagoans say the hard part of the winter isn't the physical toll, but the mental one.

"It doesn't cause what we think of as clinical depression, but it can affect people's everyday moods," Michael Young, psychology professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, said.

Young said the winter blues are all about how people cope rather than the issue. The best way to avoid the blues? Don't become a hermit.

"In fact, you could go to a neighbor's house. Get in a car and go to the movies," Young said.

CPS students, like many others across the city and suburbs, returned to class after two days off due to dangerous cold.

At the Naperville Metra station, commuters still huddled together Wednesday morning, but with warmer temperatures trains should have less trouble keeping their schedules on track.

Meanwhile, cancellations continue at Chicago's airports. At O'Hare International Airport, 150 flights were canceled on Wednesday and at Midway Airport, 50 flights were canceled.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.