Anticipating temperatures to plummet and dangerous wind chills, Kendall health department releases list of area warming centers

Anticipating temperatures to plummet into the single digits and dangerous wind chills amid a predicted snowstorm Thursday and Friday, the Kendall County Health Department has released a list of warming centers for those in need.

As of Tuesday, Dec. 20, the National Weather Service had placed Kendall County and most of northern Illinois under a winter storm watch from 6 p.m. Dec. 22 through 6 a.m. Dec. 24, Christmas Eve.

Falling and blowing snow may result in whiteout conditions at times, making travel extremely difficult, if not impossible, according to the NWS. Power outages are also a possibility with wind gusts exceeding 55 mph during the height of the storm.

The watch extends from the Wisconsin border through the Chicago suburbs, as far south as Ford County and as far west as Lee County, including all of northeastern Illinois.

Temperatures are expected to plummet Thursday, Dec. 22, night into Friday, Dec. 23, with wind chills approaching 20 below zero. Wind chills of this magnitude can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

Here is the listing of Kendall County-area warming centers. The health department recommends calling the locations to confirm days and hours they are available:

• Beecher Community Center, 630-553-5777, 908 Game Farm Road, Yorkville.

• Caring Hands Thrift Shop, 630-553-1847, 1002 S. Bridge St., Yorkville.

• Daybreak Center, 815-774-4663, 611 E. Cass St, Joliet.

• Fox Valley Family Y.M.C.A., 630-552-4100, 3875 Eldamain Road, Plano.

• Grace Community Church, 630-553-0700, Route 126 and Mill Road, Yorkville.

• Heritage Woods of Yorkville, 630-882-6502, 242 Greenbriar Road, Yorkville.

• Kendall County Health Department, 630-553-9100, 811 W. John St., Yorkville.

• Kendall County Public Safety Center, 630-553-7500, 1102 Cornell Road, Yorkville.

• Morning Star Mission, 815-722-5780, 350 E. Washington St., Joliet.

• Newark Fire Barn, 815-695-5147, 101 E. Main St., Newark.

• Oswego Police Department, 630-551-7300, 3355 Woolley Road, Oswego.

• Oswego Public Library District, 630-554-3150, 32 W. Jefferson Street, Oswego; and 1111 Reading Drive, Montgomery.

• Oswego Village Hall, 630-554-3287, 100 Parkers Mill (intersection of Route 31 and Route 34).

• Plainfield Police Department, 815-436-2341, 14300 S. Coil Plus Drive, Plainfield.

• Plano Police Department, 630-552-3122, 111 East Main Street, Plano.

• Plano Community Library, 630-552-2009, 15 W. North Street, Plano.

• Plano Walmart Supercenter, 630-552-1580, 6800 West Route 34, Plano.

• Yorkville Public Library, 630-553-4354, 902 Game Farm Road, Yorkville.