Dangerously cold weather doesn't stop Chicago from going about its day

Chicago spent half of Friday under an Extreme Cold Warning and is still under a Cold Weather Advisory, which was the perfect time for some people to go get their cars washed or go for a run.

Typically, in these kinds of dangerously cold temperatures, you want to avoid being cold and wet. But the frigid temperatures and even colder wind chills didn't stop people from coming to River North Hand Wash and Detailing to get their cars washed, nor did it stop the staff from servicing them.

Each time a garage door opened at the business, the cold air rushed in.

"As soon as the door opens, we lose 80% of our heat," said co-owner Bill DeMaio.

Nonetheless, he and his employees were working at 100%.

"We are still a body shop as well, so if anyone gets into an accident or needs any support or help with anything, we're here for him no matter what," he said.

Customers lined up to get their cars washed, though the water would freeze within moments. To stay open and functioning, they added new safety measures for staff.

"We've increased the temperatures on the heaters significantly, making sure they're warm, taking breaks as much as possible, going up stairs in the lunchroom, defrosting—whatever we can do to make sure that they're warm and safe," DeMaio said.

They're not the only ones braving the cold to get to work today. At Pat's Pizza in the South Loop, they were pumping out pies without having a working furnace.

The owner said they had two options: shut the system off, or just heat the place using their own ovens and equipment. They went with the latter.

The staff is also still delivering pizzas hot. They said they've found honesty to be the best policy when communicating with customers. That means letting them know they're doing their best to keep the food hot, and if the food is cold helping them understand why.

Other Chicagoans may have been able to work for home or have the day off, but wanted to embrace the weather.

Ben Shaughnessy was out running along the lakefront path when it was -11 degrees Fahrenheit.

"It's not bad once you get going. It's just once you stop it sucks," he said with a laugh. "I can say one thing for sure: I'm not going to get hit by a guy in a rickshaw today."

The path along the lakefront was wide open and the view was stunning. Drone pilot Abhiram Gaddam risked freezing his fingers to fly, choosing to embrace the cold.

"The lighthouse right there, I'm trying to film it right now. It's so filmic and cinematic, for sure," he said. "Like I live with a view of the lake, and so you wake up and you see just Planet Hoth for miles, right. And, it's like the wind's swirling on the lake. The ice is as far as you can see."

The sun is out but it's not doing much; it's so cold, the city even canceled this weekend's polar plunge. But for those who can endure it, they have learned to embrace the cold.