Frigid temperatures grip Chicago area

People who decided they just had to get outside in our dangerously cold weather really needed to bundle up. Wind chills hit 35 below zero.

The wind chill advisory may be over now, but temperatures are still very cold, especially for people who work outside.

In Sunday's kind of cold, it is hard to have on too many clothes, especially for valet parkers, skaters and bikers.

Bob Savitt was on a two-mile trip home Sunday. He told ABC7 Chicago how it felt to bike in bitter cold.

"You have exposed skin and it feels like minor cuts. Then, your face mask starts to freeze from the condensations. Yeah, it's nasty," Savitt said.

Sunday was an interesting night to throw a surprise party at an outdoor ice rink, which is what Kara Soule did for her brother, Kirk, who was not prepared to dress in layers.

"I have jeans and long-sleeve shirt," Kirk Soule said.

Kirk and Kara Soule said they were find outside at the skating rink. That's probably because they are from Minnesota, a place even colder than Chicago sometimes.

"My jaw is a little cold, but it's not too bad," Kara Soule said, even though she did not have on a hat.

And what about that new smoking law that forces all smokers outside? Therese Yanan says in frigid weather, it takes no time to smoke a whole cigarette.

" [It doesn't take] very long if you are motivated," she said.

The cold was an all-day affair, and the sun did not help make it more comfortable. The only sign of comfort were the polar bears at Lincoln Park zoo. The camels, on the other hand, looked like they were longing for the old days in the desert.

As always, in Sunday's type of temperatures, the city of Chicago says city services are available to help.

"We want to make sure everyone is safe and taking care of the necessary precautions," said Chicago Dept. of Human Services Comm. Sheryl McGill.

For cold weather safety tips, including information on home heating assistance programs and warming center locations, click here.

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