CHICAGO (WLS) — The bitterly cold weather continues Monday with wind chills well below zero.

ABC7 Accuweather Meteorologist Tracy Butler says wind chills are forecast to get between -15 to -25 Monday.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Wind chills Tuesday morning could reach as low as -30 degrees and Wednesday morning is also forecast to have below zero wind chills.

Temperatures reached -1 degree at O’Hare Airport Monday morning.

SEE ALSO: Chicago weather: City opens warming centers as bitterly cold temperatures move in

The National Weather Service has issued a Cold Weather Advisory for Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, La Salle, McHenry, Will counties in Illinois as well as Lake and Porter counties in Indiana until noon Monday.

The city of Chicago has opened warming centers for the extreme cold, but Chicago Public Library locations are closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Day holiday. Residents can also call 311 for more information about warming centers.

Drivers in need of assistance on the Illinois Tollway can call *999 to get assistance from the Zero Weather Road Patrols.

Both Monday and Tuesday are non-attendance days for CPS students.

Wind chills will be -10 to -20 late Sunday, -15 to -25 Monday morning, -15 to -30 Tuesday morning, and -10 to -20 Wednesday morning.

In such cold conditions, frostbite can develop on exposed skin in 10 minutes or less, so people should don coats, hats and gloves and minimize time outdoors, said Connor Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

Warning signs of frostbite include numbness, pale or waxy skin, redness or pain.

The CDC recommends immediately getting out of the cold and into a warmer environment if this occurs. Avoid rubbing the frostbitten area or walking on frostbitten feet or toes, as this can cause more damage. Instead, put the frostbitten areas in warm – not hot – water. If this is not available, use body heat from other parts of the body to warm the area, such as by placing frostbitten hands or fingers in an armpit. Do not use heating pads or heat from a stove, as the affected areas may easily burn.

Despite the federal holiday, some still out and about, but avoiding too much time outside.

“Layered up, a couple layers, something under my pants. Just stacked up,” commuter Erick Echols said.

Lake Michigan was frozen solid with steam coming off of buildings downtown and salt scattered across city sidewalks.

Many heeded the warning to stay indoors.

“Yeah, as best you can right now when it’s really cold like this, you want to minimize the amount of time outside, minimize any of the exposure as you possibly can,” RUSH ER Dr. Scott Heinrich said.
Dr. Scott Heinrich said kids and elderly people are more at risk as they have a tougher time regulating body temperatures.

Hypothermia symptoms include chills, shaking, or worse – confusion.

Frostbite, Dr. Heinrich says, can develop – within just minutes.

“One of the things you may notice early is what’s called frostnip.,” Dr. Heinrich said. “And that’s what is going to feel like when your fingers are feeling sleepy or painful, maybe a little bit of color change. When do you feel a frost nip, it’s time to get inside and start warming up. What we get more concerned about if it’s a little bit more advanced, which is what’s called frostbite. And that’s when you get the ice crystals inside of your fingers or your toes that actually start damaging tissue there and that can cause more permanent damage.”

People with asthma, chronic lung disease, or other respiratory conditions or illnesses are at higher risk when temperatures drop because cold, dry air irritates the airways, said Dr. Haitham Khraishah, a preventive cardiologist at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and an assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

This leads to greater inflammation and causes muscles around the airways to constrict, which can lead to wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath or a burning feeling in the chest, especially during exertion.

As Chicagoans bundle up to brave the cold, many have also been experiencing public transit delays.

Amtrak says the weather is forcing some service cancellations, advising riders to follow the latest information online.

Thankfully, many people do have a chance to stay home Monday with schools and some businesses closed for the holiday.

Temperatures moderate some toward the end of next week, but will still be cold.

AP News contributed to this report.

Cook County Radar | DuPage County Radar | Will County Radar | Lake County Radar (IL) | Kane County Radar | Northwest Indiana Radar