Chicago warming centers open amid frigid wind chills, strong winds
CHICAGO (CBS) — The city is offering warning centers as wind chills drop below zero with high winds on Thursday.
Thursday morning, wind chill values will range from 5 to 15 degrees below zero with high winds. Feels like temperatures remain in the single digits for the afternoon with lows in the teens by the evening.
Strong winds overnight caused power outages and downed trees in the Southwest Side and the Southwest suburbs. As temperatures dropped below zero, many residents were left without power.
The city's six community service warming centers operate Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chicago Parks District facilities and Chicago Public Libraries also provide spaces during business hours.
More than 300 public facilities that serve as warm indoor spaces are also available during cold weather. A map of all of the available locations can be found here.
Chicago residents can sign up for NotifyChicago alerts here. Text messages and e-mail alerts are sent out for incidents like severe weather.
The following warming centers are available:
Englewood Community Service Center
1140 West 79th St.
312-747-0200
Garfield Community Service Center
10 South Kedzie Ave.
312-746-5400
Martin Luther King Community Service Center
4314 South Cottage Grove
312-747-2300
North Area Community Service Center
845 West Wilson Ave.
312-744-2580
South Chicago Community Service Center
8650 South Commercial Ave.
312-747-0500
Trina Davila Community Service Center
4312 West North Ave.
312-744-2014
City officials recommend calling 3-1-1 to request a shelter placement, to request a well-being check for seniors, or to report issues with heat in residential buildings.
Warming center hours may be extended depending on extreme conditions. CBS News Chicago meteorologists will continue to monitor forecasts and provide updates.