DeKalb County braces for record-breaking low temperatures Wednesday

DeKALB – Colder than Alaska, northern Canada, Scandinavia and Russia – that’s what DeKalb County is looking at weather forecast-wise for Wednesday.

Ricky Castro, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service out of Chicago, said the county should expect a high temperature of about minus 15 degrees Wednesday. The temperature could bottom out at about minus 30 Wednesday night.

If that comes to pass, it will break long-standing local records.

The overall lowest temperature for Sycamore and DeKalb recorded by National Weather Service is minus 27 degrees Jan. 20, 1985. The lowest high temperature recorded for a day was 14 degrees below zero Jan. 19, 1994. The coldest air temperature ever observed in Illinois was 36 below zero Jan. 5, 1999, in Congerville.

“Some people in the area could be flirting with the all-state record, believe it or not,” Castro said.

For added context, highs are expected to be 19 degrees in Oslo, Norway; minus 6 degrees in the Canadian Yukon territories; 7 degrees in Murmansk, Russia; and 12 degrees in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Wednesday.

Castro said the temperatures for Wednesday do not include wind-chill factors, which could be as low as 50 degrees below zero. He said winds should be dropping to 5 mph or less, but he advised residents to not let their guard down with the lack of wind because frostbite still can occur quickly.

“You don’t even need the wind for that to be dangerous,” Castro said.

DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said all of the sheriff’s office staff will be on patrol while the sheriff’s administration offices are closed until noon Thursday. Although the area doesn’t lack for snow cover, Scott said, whiteout road conditions haven’t been a problem lately.

“But you never know when those winds will pick up and create that,” Scott said.

Scott encouraged people to stay home, or if they must travel, to stay in cities.
If anyone has to go to the rural areas of the county, he said, they should make sure they have blankets, emergency supplies and a fully charged phone in their car.

“Because if someone flips over, it takes awhile for us to get there simply because of geography,” Scott said.

Although some businesses are seeing little activity, those in industries such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning are busy as ever. Chris Carpenter, owner of the HVAC contractor services business Service Now in Cortland, said he has had a lot of extra furnace-related calls lately, which has resulted in about five trucks on the road full time. He said calls have included people wanting to be proactive in caring for their heating systems, as well as some system breakdowns.

Carpenter said it’s important for residents to keep snow out of their condensing furnace’s flue pipe and to make sure they change their furnace filters every one to three months. He said it’s also good to have the air ducts cleaned.

“Anything you can do to allow your system to not work as hard is always beneficial,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter said he also recommends annual HVAC cleanings and safety inspections. He said to keep in mind that most units can cater to temperatures as low as zero degrees or minus 5 degrees. It might not get as warm as one might like during extremely cold temperatures, such as those forecast for the next few days, but it very well is operating as it’s supposed to if it’s still running and the filter’s clean, he said.

“Sometimes it’s just doing all it can do, and that’s what it’s going to be until it warms up again,” Carpenter said.

Bill Lovett, owner of Lovett’s Towing in DeKalb, said he once was told by Illinois State Police officials that for every state trooper who is hit by a car on the road nationwide, there are 100 tow truck drivers killed. If people must travel, he said, he urges drivers to slow down, especially at a crash site.

“Because we’re usually the last ones to leave,” Lovett said.

Lesly Wicks, executive director for DeKalb County homeless shelter Hope Haven, said the shelter has a no-turn-away policy and now is over its 54-person capacity. Workers at the emergency shelter had set up 10 extra cots in the hallway.

“It’s just deadly out there with weather like this, and it’s a health concern,” Wicks said.

Wicks said community members have been donating clothes, space heaters, blankets and even ordering pizza for people at the shelter.

“This is a time when everyone not only thinks about themselves, but they think of other people, too – especially the most vulnerable,” Wicks said.