Chicago weather forecast: Extreme Cold Warning Friday as dangerous polar plunge nears

CHICAGO (WLS) — 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 Public Schools is among districts calling off classes ahead of the dangerously cold weather.

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The warning was upgraded from a previous Extreme Cold Watch; it will go into effect from 3 a.m. until noon Friday for the Chicago area.

ABC7 meteorologists said that although the warning expires at noon on Friday, it will be dangerously cold all day.

For Thursday, gusty winds are in the forecast with a high of 20, by midnight the area will be at 5 degrees.

By Friday morning, we will wake up to -7 degrees; wind chills could be as low as -30 to -40 through the day.

Chicago Public Schools canceled classes for Friday. To see the full list of school closures for districts across the entire Chicago area, click here.

The 2026 Chicago Plunge was canceled due to the extreme conditions; however the after party at HQ Beercade will continue, The Chicago Polar Bear Club said.

The temperatures could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

“It’s really important they wear a number of layers, staying very warm, but also staying very dry. Making sure you’re also not wearing anything very, very tight that restricts any blood flow,” Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital Dr. Ameer Sharifzadeh said. “If you start to feel any kind of tingling or numbness, any a lot of pain, absolutely get indoors, make sure you’re getting warm.”

Metra will operate a reduced schedule on all its lines Friday.

Visit metra.com for more information.

The South Shore Line will also operate on a weekend/holiday schedule Friday.

On Thursday, ABC7 captured damaged vehicles after a water main break at Bryn Mawr and California Avenues on the city’s North Side.

Footage shows damage to vehicles at Bryn Mawr and California on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.

On Saturday into Sunday, a major storm sweeping the south and northeast of the U.S. will likely being some snow to the southern suburbs of Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Lake-effect snow is possible on Monday morning.