It's So Cold In Chicago People Are Being Told Not To Breathe Too Deeply

Just when you were thinking the Beast from the East Pt. 2 was making the morning commute that bit more difficult today, say a prayer for the residents of Chicago, who are expected to endure weather even colder than Mount Everest, parts of Antarctica and Siberia.

It is so cold residents are being told not to talk or breathe too deeply.

With temperatures set to plummet to lows of -26C, the National Weather Service has warned people in the Illinois city to cover their mouths as much as possible in order 'to protect your lungs from severely cold air, avoid taking deep breaths; minimize talking'.

If the predictions are correct, this will make it the coldest ever 30 January in the Windy City.

PA

To put things in perspective, CBS Chicago reported that on the same day, the South Pole is expected to reach a high temperature of four below zero, while Alaska, located above the Arctic Circle, is set to be seven below zero, and Greenland, also north of the Arctic Circle, will be 11 below.

Meanwhile, compare the temps to the relative warmth of Priestley Glacier, Antarctica, which will have a Wednesday high temperature of six degrees and a low of seven below zero.

So yeah, Chicago's definitely winning in the chilly department.

It's not ideal, particularly for those hoping to travel in and out of the city and its surrounding areas. According to FlightAware.com, over 1,600 flights will have been cancelled today and tomorrow as a result of the cold weather, including more than 760 in and out of Chicago airports.

Pixabay

And it's only set to get colder from there, as temperatures are expected to plummet further to 27 degrees below freezing on Thursday.

"The coldest air in a generation is sinking south, with below-zero temperatures already in the Upper Midwest," said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. "And the worst yet to come."

The Windy City bears the brunt of this storm, as it's set to become what Hennen described as 'the epicenter of the extreme cold'.

Locals have been warned to wrap up warm, stay inside, avoid travel and keep an eye on the young and elderly as a mammoth blast of freezing air sweeps through the Midwest and heads towards the East.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker declared a state of emergency, stating: "There is a real risk of hypothermia and frostbite. Even five minutes of exposure can have very severe health consequences."

Here's hoping our friends across the pond stay safe. It certainly puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Topics: Weather, US News

Daisy Phillipson

Daisy is a UK-based freelance journalist with too many opinions. She loves everything film and music-related and has a track record writing for Little White Lies, BWRC, and Film Daily. Contact her at [email protected]