CHICAGO — Wind chills of up to 15 degrees below zero hit the Chicago area Tuesday morning, with the National Weather Service warning of “extreme cold temperatures” throughout the day.

Wind chills of 10 degrees below to 15 degrees below zero will continue throughout the mid-morning in portions of north central and northeast Illinois as well as northwest Indiana, the weather service said.

Fluffy, accumulating snow is also expected to blanket the area late Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, particularly near and north of Interstate 80. Roads may become slick during the morning commute.

Snowfall will peter out by 8 a.m. Wednesday, followed by what will be the highest temperatures of the week, with highs in the upper 20s to low 30s, weather officials say.

A cold front will again move through Wednesday evening bringing snow showers and wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour, which may cause blowing and drifting snow. Dangerous cold weather will return later this week, the weather service warned.

Forecasts called for an “arctic cold front” to roll through the Chicago area starting Thursday night, blanketing the region in a bitter cold, per weather officials. By Friday morning, temperatures will be well below zero and will hover to around zero throughout the day.

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The Chicago Tribune’s Tess Kenny contributed to this story.

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