Davenport, IA – The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities reports that an early-season Arctic cold snap will grip eastern Iowa and western Illinois tonight, sending temperatures and wind chills to dangerous levels by Thursday morning.
Forecasters expect lows between 5 and 10 degrees below zero, especially along and north of Interstate 80, with some locations in northeast Iowa possibly dipping even lower. The cold air, combined with northwest winds near 5 mph, will produce wind chills between 10 and 20 below zero.
Communities affected include Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Davenport, Muscatine, Iowa City, Rock Island, Moline, and Freeport.
The NWS notes that this is unusually cold for early December and could challenge record lows for December 4 across several reporting stations.
Residents are urged to limit time outdoors, dress in layers, and cover exposed skin to prevent frostbite. Pets should be brought indoors, and caution is advised for anyone traveling or working outside early Thursday.
Temperatures are expected to slowly rebound later in the day, but subfreezing highs will persist into the weekend.
