Temporary Warming Center Will Open For 3 Nights In Aurora

AURORA, IL — Aurora will activate its temporary overnight warming center Wednesday evening as a "blast of arctic air" is expected to hit the Chicago area, the National Weather Service said.

The warming center, located at the Financial Empowerment Center, 712 S. River St., will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Wednesday night, Thursday night and Friday night.

Visitors can enter through the building's main door, and they will subsequently be buzzed in through the security door.

The city's warming center is activated based on temperature thresholds. The high on Wednesday is 34 degrees and 17 degrees on Thursday. Wind chills on Wednesday evening, Thursday morning and Thursday evening could be as low as 20 below zero. Friday morning wind chills could be as low as 15 below zero, according to the forecast.

The cold temperatures could also result in "rapid ice formation and potential freeze-up ice jams" on area rivers, the weather service said.

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