Chicago Chill - Temperature drop empties streets as students and commuters stay home

Beyond Chicago, General Interest, Health and Science, Winter 2019

Chicago Chill – Temperature drop empties streets as students and commuters stay home

February 5, 2019

Chris Schulz
Medill Reports

January 30, 2019, marked one of the coldest days in Chicago’s history, with an early morning low of -23 degrees and a frigid high of -10. Schools, businesses, and public attractions all closed their doors against the dangerous cold, encouraging everyone to stay indoors. Downtown Chicago, devoid of its characteristic bustle, looked eerie and abandoned.

State Street in downtown Chicago looking North towards the Chicago theater — State Street looks completely empty of pedestrians at mid-morning when the temperature rose to about -18 degrees.. With widespread closings and cancellations, many who normally fill the downtown byways chose to work from home or take leave.(Credit: Chris Schulz)

Downtown — Looking south from West Division Street and North Wells Street, the city’s heating systems exhaust steam across the skyline as they work overtime to keep residents safe and warm. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

A look down a CTA bus shows the view out of the windshield. The driver's face can been seen in the rearview. — A CTA driver looks before merging as she continues driving the 18 CTA bus route. The CTA maintained regular services despite the gripping cold. Buses and trains are often sanctuaries for citizens escaping the cold or seeking out life-saving resources, such as heating centers. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

A black dog wearing purple booties jumps playfully in the snow off of Michigan Avenue — Not all spirits were frozen by the Arctic chill. Dexter, a lab mix, enjoys some play in the snow with his human. At -12 degrees., this was one of the warmer moments of the day around 1pm. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

Cloud Gate, more commonly known as The Bean, never fails to attract attention from tourists and locals alike who fill the surrounding pavilion. As the day approached its high of -10 degrees. only a handful of intrepid sightseers kept the sculpture company in the bitter cold. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

Two women bundled up against the cold stand in front of the Cloud Gate statue — Monica Berg, left, and Kendall Riechman live in the same building overlooking Millennium Park. “I saw that there was nobody down here so we decided to take advantage and get some good pictures,” said Riechman. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

A group of friends poses for a selfie photograph in front of Cloud Gate — A group of friends visiting Chicago from Atlanta pose for a selfie in front of the iconic Bean. The photographer took her hand out of her glove to get the desired angle, but almost immediately began to exclaim “Ow!” as the cold air hit her exposed skin. With wind chills exceeding -35 degrees on Wednesday, frostbite could occur in as little as 15 minutes. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

The Alder Planetarium, seen between two high rise buildings, is shrouded in condensation. — The Alder Planetarium is obscured by condensation coming off an ice-locked Lake Michigan. The planetarium, along with many other museums, schools, and businesses across Chicago, closed its doors on Wednesday due to the dangerous cold. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

An empty train platform at the Chicago Red Line station — The northbound platform at the Chicago stop on the Red Line, empty in the middle of the afternoon. The Red Line is a central component of the CTA L system, connecting the northern and southern ends of Chicago. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

A man bundled against the cold wears a face mask styled after The Batman villain The Joker stands waiting for a train. — Nate Altman waits for a train to his home in Roseland wearing a Joker-themed face mask. “My girlfriend gave it to me. It was a good gift for a day like today,” said Altman. Extremely cold air can irritate airways and lungs, inducing wheezing and coughing. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

Looking West, an L train crosses Division Street. — A Brown Line train crosses over an unusually empty West Division Street at 4pm, normally the start of rush hour. Throughout the day Chicago streets remained mostly abandoned as residents avoided going out at if at all possible. (Credit: Chris Schulz)

Cloud Gate, more commonly known as The Bean, never fails to attract attention from tourists and locals alike who fill the surrounding pavilion. As the day approached its high of -10F, just a handful of intrepid sightseers kept the sculpture company in the bitter cold. (Credit: Chris Schulz)