© Flickr/CharlesBDozens of schools and institutions will be closed Monday in anticipation of subzero temperatures.
At midnight, the temperature at O'Hare was 3 degrees below zero, which is the warmest temperature the city is likely to see throughout the entire day, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Friedlein said.
A temperature of 16 degrees below zero was measured at O'Hare Airport later in the morning, breaking the record of 14 below zero set twice in 1884 and 1988 on Jan. 6, according to the National Weather Service.
That's colder than the South Pole in Antarctica, where the temperature was recorded at 11 degrees below zero at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station before 8 a.m. It was also colder than Novosibirsk, a city in southwest Siberia, which was 6 degrees below zero, according to the Weather Channel.
The lowest temperature ever recorded in Chicago by the National Weather Service was 27 degrees below zero on Jan. 20, 1985.
As of about 11 a.m., airlines had canceled more than 1,600 flights at O'Hare Airport, while airlines at Midway Airport canceled more than 85 flights, according to the Department of Aviation.
As forecasters warned the city of the potentially life-threatening cold, the city was dubbed "Chiberia," with many using the hashtag to show their weather-related woes.
The frigid weather comes after Chicago saw two major snowfalls. Total accumulation from the 30 hours of snowfall from Saturday to Sunday amounted to 11.7 inches at O'Hare, Friedlein said.
That is the largest amount from a snowfall event since the Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011, Friedlein said.
Chicagoans can track the city's progress at removing the snow via Plow Tracker.
The YMCA, usually a haven for kids and families seeking relief, announced Monday morning that all centers in the city and suburbs would be closed. All Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago will be closed as well, the organization announced.
For pet owners, the city offers some tips on how to best care for dogs and pets in cold weather.
Those looking to find a warming center should check the city's list of locations here or call 311. The warming center hours were extended from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Tuesday.
A supervisor at the city's 311 call center said the city had 10 calls from people concerned about the homeless overnight.
The Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium and Chicago Children's Museum will be closed, as well as the Chicago Skydeck at Willis Tower.
And after promising for days that schools would stay open despite the extreme cold, Chicago Public Schools announced Sunday night that classes were canceled for Monday morning.
Not sure if your school is on the list? Check here and here.
Those looking for a ride to work should avoid Divvy, which is temporarily shutting down again due to the cold, the system announced Sunday.
Commuters who opted for public transportation faced major delays and temporary suspension of the Purple Line due to the cold weather. Metra also notified travelers of several weather-related delays.
On Tuesday, the high is expected to be near 5 degrees, with wind chills reaching as low as 37 degrees below zero.
"Southerly winds will try to bring some warm up here. The problem is you have snow cover here... [and] that snow cover is acting like a freezer and quickly cooling that air," Friedlein said.
On Wednesday, there's a slight chance for more snow, and the temperatures could rise to the mid-teens.
Extreme heat and extreme cold [unwinding and winding force] are the way in which humanity faces destruction as earth is increasingly stressed by human greed. This was predicted. But we resist changing our attitude. Our life is at risk. There will be increased fire accidents, flash floods/snows, earth quakes and volcanic eruptions with every passing climate cycle - The only way out is to know Earths design and functioning and act to control the energy of the environment – Evolve knowledge or get destroyed are the only two options before Humanity. [Link]