Aurora is under a Wind Chill Advisory today and a Wind Chill Warning from 6 p.m. this evening through Thursday morning. Health-threatening arctic cold with wind chills of -30° to -55° will occur. Residents are encouraged to avoid time outside
“As the core of the coldest air approaches today, temperatures will hover around 0° along with wind chills well below zero,” said the National Weather Service. “Temperatures will then plummet to the teens and 20s below zero by Wednesday morning, with lowest wind chills of 30 to 55 below zero. Then on Wednesday night into early Thursday, high pressure over the region is expected to set the stage for one of the coldest time periods this area has ever seen.”
If residents must be outside, even if only briefly, plan and dress appropriately. Please remember:
- Frostbite and hypothermia can occur in minutes if precautions are not taken!
- Wear winter coats, hats and gloves and bundle up if you must go outside!
- Handle all grocery shopping prior to going home tonight
- Check on others, especially elderly and disabled relatives, friends and neighbors.
WARMING CENTERS OPEN
The City of Aurora collaborates with community partners to offer safe and warm locations for those in need during the extreme cold. A list of available warming centers is available at https://www.aurora-il.org/790/Warming-Cooling-Centers.
TRASH SERVICE CANCELED ON WEDNESDAY
Due to the dangerously frigid temperatures, Groot has announced trash collection service has been canceled on Wednesday, January 30 and won’t begin until 7 a.m. on Thursday, January 31. Consequently, trash collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS
The City of Aurora does not make decisions on school closings for any of our public school districts, private schools, parochial schools, colleges or universities. Check with your respective educational institution for weather-related closings.
PREPARE YOUR HOME
Home heating systems are generally not designed for extremely frigid arctic temperatures. To prepare for the cold snap:
- Raise the temperature in your home today, 2 to 4 degrees above your normal setting.
- Take all programmable thermostats out of setback mode and set on a permanent ‘hold’.
- Do not use stove or oven to heat your home
- Keep garage doors closed and Limit opening exterior doors.
- Make sure air vents and radiators are not blocked or obstructed.
- Follow tips to avoid frozen water pipes
AVOID FROZEN PIPES
The City encourages residents to follow a few simple steps to avoid frozen water pipes:
- Maintain heat at a minimum of 55 degrees.
- Run the cold and hot water faucet at a minimal rate to maintain water movement through your piping to prevent freezing.
- Avoid cold drafts by the water meter or exposed pipes by replacing broken windows, caulking holes in foundations and window frames.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing, especially if your sinks are on an exterior wall.
- If the water meter or pipes are near the foundation, in a crawl space, or another area where cold temps are present, wrap the meter and pipes and insulate the area.
- Change outside faucets to a non-freezing model.
METRA AND PACE ON MODIFIED SCHEDULES
Both Metra and PACE have announced modified schedules for Wednesday, January 30. Check their websites prior to making travel plans: www.metrarail.com and www.pacebus.com
STAY CONNECTED
Stay connected to any pertinent updates from the City of Aurora and receive messages via your cell by texting AURORAIL to 888777. Updates will also be posted to the City's social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.