Illinois Warned Dangerous Cold Coming Within a Week

When it comes to temperatures this time of year, there's chilly and there's the kind of cold where you could be in danger if you're not prepared. That's the scenario that Illinois is being warned about as dangerous cold could be arriving within a week.

If I had to guess, I think most in Illinois are focused on the very real chance that we'll see snow over the Thanksgiving holiday. That still looks very likely to happen. But, it's what's coming after that should also be on your radar (no weather pun intended). The National Weather Service shared this graphic about what's to come in the period from November 29 through December 5.

Normal highs from the end of November into early December would be in the upper 40's with lows around the freezing mark. The belief now is that nearly all of Illinois stands a 70 to 80% chance of being much colder than that. When you consider how mild it's been in Illinois throughout most of November so far, that's going to feel like a big chill that will suddenly hit at the end of the month.

Whenever temperatures drop enough where the National Weather Service is warning Illinois to "protect plumbing", that means it's dangerous enough to cause you harm if you have a vehicle breakdown unprepared for cold weather.

For the record, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center also agrees that temperatures in Illinois should be much colder than normal during the next 8 to 14 days.

Best to mentally prepare now for the incoming big freeze. It'll be impacting Illinois in less than a week.