Chicago residents are bracing for extreme cold, with wind chills expected to reach -10 to -20 degrees on Thursday. That cold weather will linger for the next two days, according to CBS Chicago Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon. 

Even with plummeting temperatures, some things can be done ahead of time to avoid troubles come Thursday morning.

The serious cold is not just coming, it's already here.

"It's arrived a little earlier than we expected it to," said Jessica Cantarelli with Northern Indiana Public Service Company.

Cantarelli said with snow already coating the Chicago and northwest Indiana area, homeowners must make sure there's no snow packed around outdoor exhaust vents to prevent carbon monoxide buildups.

"Meters and outdoor piping, they can withstand harsh winter weather, but hard-packed snow, icicles, and water dripping on outdoor equipment, that poses a safety risk," she said.

It's also not a bad idea to take a look at your car as soon as possible.

"Turn it on and get the defroster going and get off as much ice as you can now before it builds up throughout the morning," said Molly Hart with AAA.

Hart said tomorrow will be busy with their tow truck drivers responding to dead batteries. Electric vehicle drivers also need to be careful.

"With the colder weather, it loses its charge, so you need to do it more frequently than you normally do," Hart said.

For people who may need shelter tonight, the city said there are almost 300 public buildings open for warming. Howard Erhman, co-founder of the People's Response Network, said many of those places are only operating during business hours.

"Tonight it is going to get so cold people will die of hypothermia, or they will get so sick they will be taken to emergency rooms," he said.

Erhman said that with an early start to a possibly bitter cold long winter, there needs to be more shelters and warming buses open around the clock.

"We've been asking the city for over a decade to open up to the six warming centers 24/7 whenever the temperature goes below freezing," he said.

The city said police districts are open 24/7, and anyone can call 311 to be connected to a shelter.

It is also illegal to start your car and leave it unattended in Illinois. The only exception is remote start.