AccuWeather Alert: Sunday begins streak of bitter, dangerous cold acres Chicago area

CHICAGO (WLS) — Bone-chilling temperatures moved into the Chicago area early Sunday morning.

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The bitter cold is expected to last through Wednesday, ABC7 meteorologists said.

Wind chills will be -10 to -20 late Sunday, -15 to -25 Monday morning, -15 to -30 Tuesday morning, and -10 to -20 Wednesday morning.

In such cold conditions, frostbite can develop on exposed skin in 10 minutes or less, so people should don coats, hats and gloves and minimize time outdoors, said Connor Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

Warning signs of frostbite include numbness, pale or waxy skin, redness or pain.

The CDC recommends immediately getting out of the cold and into a warmer environment if this occurs. Avoid rubbing the frostbitten area or walking on frostbitten feet or toes, as this can cause more damage. Instead, put the frostbitten areas in warm – not hot – water. If this is not available, use body heat from other parts of the body to warm the area, such as by placing frostbitten hands or fingers in an armpit. Do not use heating pads or heat from a stove, as the affected areas may easily burn.

SEE ALSO: Chicago weather: City opens warming centers as bitterly cold temperatures move in

People with asthma, chronic lung disease, or other respiratory conditions or illnesses are at higher risk when temperatures drop because cold, dry air irritates the airways, said Dr. Haitham Khraishah, a preventive cardiologist at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and an assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

This leads to greater inflammation and causes muscles around the airways to constrict, which can lead to wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath or a burning feeling in the chest, especially during exertion.

Temperatures moderate some toward the end of next week, but will still be cold.

AP News contributed to this report.

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