Sayonara, Polar Vortex. It was nice knowing ya.
Not really.
Temperatures climbed back up above freezing Wednesday after two days of bitter cold gripped the area, closing schools and shattering records.
“The Polar Vortex is way out of here. It’s back up in the Arctic,” National Weather Service meteorologist Ben Deubelbeiss said early Wednesday morning.
Temperatures soared into the mid-teens Wednesday. Very light winds kept the wind chill at bay.
Area school children headed back to the books, with all area schools reopening Wednesday following closures Monday and Tuesday.
McHenry set a record for the lowest temperature in the area, according to the National Weather Service.
The air temperature was observed at minus 20 degrees on Monday morning. That does not factor in the wind chill.
The forecast calls for the temperature to jump again Thursday and reach the mid-30s by Friday.
Temperatures above freezing are expected throughout the weekend, Deubelbeiss said.
The sudden warm-up could bring with it the potential for flooding as frozen rivers start to melt.
Thursday calls for a high of 22 degrees with a chance of freezing drizzle in the afternoon. There is a slight chance of flurries and freezing drizzle on Friday with a high of 36.