Northern Illinois is locked in a brief but brutal blast of arctic air on Thursday, with temperatures plunging near zero in many areas and wind chills falling as low as 15 degrees below zero. The cold snap arrived behind a sharp cold front that moved through the region on Wednesday afternoon.

Even as winds have eased through the early morning, the combination of falling temperatures and lingering northwest gusts pushed wind chills to dangerous levels. The National Weather Service expects little relief during the day. Despite sunny skies, the fresh snowpack across the region will limit warming, keeping highs in the teens to the lower 20s.

The coldest readings are expected early Thursday evening again as clear skies and light winds promote rapid cooling. Some locations may slip below zero s

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