CHICAGO — After severe winter weather led to Chicago Public Schools closures and more than 560 canceled flights on Monday, meteorologists said the city won't get much of a reprieve Tuesday.
The National Weather Service warned that temperatures might drop to 12 degrees below zero Monday night into Tuesday, while wind chills could reach 30 degrees below. A wind chill warning is in effect until Wednesday morning.
During the day Tuesday, Chicagoans could see a high of 3 degrees, meteorologists said, but wind chills are expected to hit 32 degrees below zero during the day. Wind gusts will move 10 to 25 mph.
On Monday, Chicago Public Schools called off classes, and more than 560 flights were canceled due to cold and wind conditions. Temperatures hovered near zero Monday morning, and the daytime high was expected to be 2 degrees below zero.
As of 3:30 p.m., more than 480 flights had been canceled at O'Hare Airport, and more than 80 flights were canceled at Midway Airport due to the weather, according to the city's aviation department. Neither airport was reporting delays, according to the aviation department.
During the city's first round of "Chiberia" earlier this month, public transportation faced major snarls, but as of mid-day, there weren't as many commuting problems Monday.
Metra warned riders that the trains were likely to be delayed, though few were reporting weather-related delays during the morning commute. Amtrak is operating some modified schedules for the day, and customers should check the system's website for full information.
The CTA alerted commuters that the Yellow and Red lines were suffering weather-related delays early Monday morning, though things were running normally as the day progressed.
State Police said no major crashes had been reported on Chicago expressways Monday morning.
The city extended warming center hours for Monday and Tuesday, and more information about the centers is available online or by calling 311.
The Franciscan House shelter, 2715 W. Harrison St., will remain open around the clock during the severe weather, a spokeswoman said. Guests are typically required to leave by 6:30 a.m., but are welcome to stay during the day until the cold snap passes.
Chicago Public Schools canceled class for Monday and Tuesday. Other area schools and businesses also announced closings.
Also closed were area Boys & Girls Clubs and the Adler Planetarium. YMCA centers are running with reduced hours on Monday and Tuesday.
The Chicago Park District said its indoor programs are operating normally, but outdoor activities like ice skating have been canceled.
The city cautioned residents to take extra care during the potentially dangerous conditions and provided a list of weather-related tips online.
After the arctic blast brought less than an inch of snow on Sunday, the city reported that it sent out a full fleet of snow plows and salt spreaders and that it would now be focusing on keeping side and residential streets clear. Residents can monitor the snow plows via Plow Tracker.
With 33.1 inches of snow so far, the city has experienced the third snowiest January and the fourth snowiest month ever on record, according to the National Weather Service.
It's also the 13th coldest winter to date, the weather service said.
