Chicago, IL – Illinois may face an early blast of winter cold heading into Thanksgiving week, elevating the risk of frostbite and hypothermia, according to updated guidance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Nov. 19 climate outlook highlights a major pattern shift beginning November 25, with colder-than-normal temperatures increasingly likely across the Midwest through early December.
According to NOAA, the transition is being influenced by La Niña, the Madden–Julian Oscillation, and the potential for a rare late-November sudden stratospheric warming event. These atmospheric drivers may help funnel Arctic air deep into the North-Central and Eastern U.S., placing Illinois in a heightened frostbite-risk zone.
As holiday travel surges, shoppers gather outdoors for sales, and families attend parades and football games, state health officials warn that frostbite and hypothermia can develop faster than many people expect — especially with wind chills dropping well below freezing.
Common frostbite symptoms include:
• Numbness or loss of feeling
• Tingling or prickling sensations
• Cold, hard, waxy-looking skin
• Skin discoloration (red, white, blue, gray, or purple)
• Blisters that may appear after rewarming
Ten important signs of hypothermia:
Shivering, slurred speech, shallow breathing, weak pulse, confusion, memory loss, severe fatigue, stumbling, drowsiness, and — in severe cases — loss of consciousness. Infants may present with bright red, cold skin and unusually low energy.
NOAA urges Illinois residents to bundle in layers, keep extremities covered, and limit time outdoors during the coldest stretches of the holiday week. Anyone showing symptoms of frostbite or hypothermia should seek immediate medical attention and warm affected areas using warm — not hot — water or gentle body heat.
