CHICAGO (WLS) — The frigid weather in the Chicago area is causing some pipes to burst and water mains to break.
Classes are canceled Wednesday for Maine South High School in Park Ridge, after a sprinkler line water pipe burst before the school day started.
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Students are being allowed to stay in common areas of the school for the day.
Parents can pick up students at any time, and the school is working to see if any buses are available to pick up students earlier that the normal dismissal time.
Water flooded the intersection near Western Avenue and Jackson Boulevard Tuesday, turning it into an ice rink, as crews worked to fix the break.
There’s also a water main break between the 2600- and 2800-block of Highland Avenue in Berwyn, and a break at the DuPage County Complex has been repaired.
Wind chills were well below zero Wednesday morning.
A cold advisory ended at midnight Wednesday, but snow is expected in the afternoon and evening, with temperatures in the low 20s.
Wind chills are still in the single digits, thanks to gusty winds up to 30 mph.
A dusting to an inch or so of snow will be possible, with some spots maybe seeing as much as 2 inches of snow. That’s not a whole lot of snow, but it will be enough to create some slippery spots on the roadways during the day and especially Wednesday evening.
A deep freeze has settled over the Chicago area, with wind chills plunging well below zero and causing dangerous conditions for anyone outside.
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The city of Chicago has opened warming centers for the extreme cold. Residents can also call 311 for more information about warming centers.
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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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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.
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.
AP News contributed to this report.
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