The Chicago area will be under an Extreme Cold Warning on Friday. Local officials are warning residents to be ready for the brutal cold.

Chicago faces dangerous cold through Friday with subzero wind chills, followed by the possibility of disruptive snow this weekend.

An Arctic front is moving into the Chicago area, bringing the coldest weather since the 2019 Polar vortex.

Wind chills will range from -20 degrees to -40 degrees depending on where you live, and some Chicago-area suburbs will see the worst of it.

A blast of cold air is on its way to the Chicago area later this week, after some more snow is expected Wednesday.

Wind chills of up to 15 degrees below zero hit the Chicago area Tuesday morning, with the National Weather Service warning of “extreme cold temperatures” throughout the day.

According to the National Weather Service, the coldest conditions will come starting at about 3 a.m., when an extreme cold warning goes into effect for all of northeastern Illinois. "Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 30 to 40 below zero expected," the NWS said. "Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside."

The 2026 Chicago Polar Plunge has been canceled due to the dangerously cold weather expected to hit the Chicago area in the coming days.

1985: The temperature hit an all-time record low in Chicago — minus 27 degrees at O’Hare International Airport. Also in 1985: Corporation counsel James Montgomery recommended Chicago no longer assist the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service in arresting immigrants unless subpoenas were obtained.