Extreme cold has moved into the Chicago area, and while an official advisory has expired, wind chills are still making it feel like temperature are well below zero degrees.

A Cold Weather Advisory for the entire Chicago area expired at 12 p.m..

Dangerous Arctic cold grips the region as temperatures near or slightly above zero combine with strong winds to produce wind chills as low as -25° in the western suburbs. Highs Monday will struggle to reach 10° with wind chills below zero all day.

Separately, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. Monday for LaPorte County and other parts of northern Indiana farther east. Lake-effect and blowing snow were expected, with accumulations totaling 2 to 4 inches north of the Indiana Toll Road, and 1 to 2 inches south of the toll road.

Snow also fell in Chicago Sunday night and Monday morning. The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed salt spreaders late Sunday and through the overnight hours, and was monitoring arterial streets, DuSable Lake Shore Drive, bridges, and overpasses to keep them passable.

The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications warned that the dangerous wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin within as little as half an hour.

New Life Covenant Church's Chicago Dream Center in Humboldt Park has opened up the second floor of their facility to provide shelter to any people experiencing homelessness or anyone else who may need a safe, warm place to stay overnight during the dangerous temperatures. 

On their first night they had eight people stay with them, and last night they had 12. With wind chills sending temperatures double digits below zero, they expect those numbers will only climb.

The overnight shelter opens any time the temperature drops below 15 degrees. 

"At the end of the week, if it's two-week cold spell we're going through, we'll get a full house," said Pastor Marcelo Pozo said. "Every bed will be taken."

People check in at a front desk, and any large items are stored safely away. 

Just over a year ago, the city cleared out the encampment in Humboldt Park proper. At the time, more than 100 people were matched with housing while another 21 were in shelters waiting for accommodations. Pozo said some of those people are back on the streets now, often because of mental health or addiction, so it has become a mission for him to help them. Especially because he has personally walked in their shoes.

"In my younger years, I had myself an addiction of 20 years of crack cocaine. It was very bad and one time I almost became homeless," he said. 

He made it out of that situation and knows others will too. So he offers a warm bed, a helping hand and an open door to those who might need it.

"The Lord did it for me, he can do it for you also," Pozo said.

The shelter's doors open at 7 p.m. and guests have until 7 a.m. to stay. The shelter also accepts dropped off donations. 

Warming centers open in Chicago and Cook County

Warming centers will be open Monday to escape from the cold, but fewer will be open than usual for a weekday, as Monday is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Center's Garfield Center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday. A total of 74 Chicago Park District locations and all 22 Chicago police district stations will also be open as warming centers. Police stations are open 24 hours for warming.

Chicago Public Library locations are also open as warming enters during operating hours Sunday, but will be closed for the holiday Monday.

From Tuesday through Friday, several other warming centers will also be open in addition to those above:

• All Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Community Service Centers (9 a.m-5 p.m.), including the Englewood Community Service Center at 1140 W. 79th St., the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center at 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave., the North Area Community Service Center at 845 W. Wilson Ave., the South Chicago Community Service Center at 8650 S. Commercial Ave., and the Trina Davila Community Service Center at 4312 W. North Ave.
• All 21 DFSS Senior Centers: All 21 Senior Centers, which are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the exception of the Renaissance Court Senior Center at the Chicago Cultural Center downtown, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For locations, go online or contact 311.
• All City Colleges of Chicago, open during operating hours.

The City of Evanston is also opening a warming center The Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center, at 1823 Church St. on Evanston's West Side, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday.

The Evanston Public Library Main Branch, 1703 Orrington Ave., is also open Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Cook County is also opening three courthouses as warming centers — the Skokie Courthouse, 5600 Old Orchard Rd.; the Maywood Courthouse, 1500 Maybrook Dr.; and the Markham Courthouse, 16501 S. Kedzie Pkwy., will be open 24 hours a day through Wednesday morning.

The City of Chicago also reminded everyone to be aware of the signs of frostbite. Extremities such as fingers, toes, the nose and ears are at the highest risk for frostbite, but any area of exposed skin can be affected.

Skin freezes when the body's survival mechanisms kick in to protect the body's vital organs.

During first-degree frostbite, ice crystals start forming on the skin. In the second phase, skin starts to feel warm. The third stage is usually marked by the skin turning red, pale, or white. In stage four, pain lasts for more than a few hours and skin could start turning black or blue.

"If the skin turns white and blisters start to form, it means ice crystals have formed in the skin tissue," Dr. Edidiong Kaminska, a dermatologist at Northwestern Medicine, explained in a 2019 interview with CBS News Chicago.

If you come inside from the cold and suspect you might have frostbite, sit by a warm fireplace, get under a warm blanket or engage in a mild form of exercise to get the body moving. If your condition doesn't improve, you should see a doctor.

The OEMC also advised wearing several layers of loose, warm clothing, keeping the head, hands and feet covered, and staying dry — as moisture can damage the effectiveness of insulation from clothing.

Pets are also at risk from the cold, the city emphasized. Chicago Animal Care and Control notes that indoor cats are always safer indoors, and dogs should only be outside for exercise when temperatures fall. Short-haired dogs, puppies, senior dogs, and indoor cats should never be left outside unsupervised, and short-coated dogs may be more comfortable with a sweater or coat on winter walks, Animal Care and Control said.

On Sunday, Chicago Animal Care and Control was waiving adoption fees at its Paws in Pajamas pet adoption event, from noon to 6 p.m. at the animal shelter at 2741 S. Western Ave. For Chicago residents, there is a $5 dog license fee that can't be waived.

For staying warm, the Chicago Fire Department advised that space heaters are not recommended at all — but if they must be used, users should ensure that they are UL-certified and at least 3 feet from anything flammable. Space heaters in children's rooms should be monitored closely, as children might move them too close to or even into beds.

Extension cords used with space heaters should be rated at 15 amps minimum and should never be put under carpet, the CFD said.

Meanwhile, with more demand for furnaces and boilers, the CFD issued a reminder that residents must have working carbon monoxide detectors.

The Department of Water Management said to prevent frozen pipes, residents should ensure warm air is flowing throughout the home and a trickle of water is running. If pipes do freeze, a hair dryer or heating pad should be used to thaw them — not a candle or open flame.