Chicagoans are bracing for colder weather on Wednesday night with -10 to -20 degree wind chills. That cold weather will linger for the next two days, according to CBS Chicago Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even with plummeting temperatures, some things can be done ahead of time to avoid troubles come Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
The serious cold is not just coming, it’s already here.<\/p>\n
“It’s arrived a little earlier than we expected it to,” said Jessica Cantarelli with Northern Indiana Public Service Company.<\/p>\n
Cantarelli said with snow already coating the Chicago and northwest Indiana area, homeowners must make sure there’s no snow packed around outdoor exhaust vents to prevent carbon monoxide buildups.<\/p>\n
“Meters and outdoor piping, they can withstand harsh winter weather, but hard-packed snow, icicles, and water dripping on outdoor equipment, that poses a safety risk,” she said.<\/p>\n
It’s also not a bad idea to take a look at your car as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
“Turn it on and get the defroster going and get off as much ice as you can now before it builds up throughout the morning,” said Molly Hart with AAA.<\/p>\n
Hart said tomorrow will be busy with their tow truck drivers responding to dead batteries. Electric vehicle drivers also need to be careful.<\/p>\n
“With the colder weather, it loses its charge, so you need to do it more frequently than you normally do,” Hart said.<\/p>\n
For people who may need shelter tonight, the city said there are almost 300 public buildings open for warming. Howard Erhman, co-founder of the People’s Response Network, said many of those places are only operating during business hours.<\/p>\n
“Tonight it is going to get so cold people will die of hypothermia, or they will get so sick they will be taken to emergency rooms,” he said.<\/p>\n
Erhman said that with an early start to a possibly bitter cold long winter, there needs to be more shelters and warming buses open around the clock.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been asking the city for over a decade to open up to the six warming centers 24\/7 whenever the temperature goes below freezing,” he said.<\/p>\n
The city said police districts are open 24\/7, and anyone can call 311 to be connected to a shelter.<\/p>\n
It is also illegal to start your car and leave it unattended in Illinois. The only exception is remote start.<\/p>\n
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