Chicago Warming Centers Open Wednesday As City Faces Below-Zero Cold

CHICAGO — Six warming centers are open Wednesday in Chicago as the city faces extreme cold.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the city, warning of limited risk from excessive cold and elevated risk from wind, blowing and drifting snow and lakeshore flooding.

The city will hit 20 degrees at its warmest point of the day Wednesday, but temperatures will fall and it could feel like it’s below zero, according to the National Weather Service.

People who need a safe space to warm up can go to a city warming center, though space will be limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The locations:

• Englewood Center, 1140 W. 79th St.
• North Area Center, 845 W. Wilson Ave.
• Garfield Center, 10 S. Kedzie Ave.: This center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to connect people to emergency shelter.
• South Chicago Center, 8650 S. Commercial Ave.
• King Center, 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
• Trina Davila Center, 4312 W. North Ave.

You can call 311 to find the warming center nearest to you. Older people can also go to one of the city’s 21 senior centers. Information about the senior centers is available online.

Thursday and Friday are also expected to see an elevated risk for excessive cold, with more cold coming over the weekend and early next week, according to the weather agency.

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