Home Care In Chicago, IL

A "roller coaster" of temperatures is expected the rest of this week, according to the National Weather Service, and the week of Christmas looks like mild temperatures may stick around.

An "active period of weather" is expected late Wednesday through Thursday night, the weather service said on its Facebook.

Drizzle is possible late Wednesday, with rising temperatures through the night. The high on Wednesday is 43, according to the current forecast.

"Breezy conditions with periods of rain will develop late [Wednesday] through Thursday morning, followed by blustery conditions behind a cold front Thursday afternoon and night," the weather service said.

Winds will be as high as 30 mph on Wednesday night, 35 mph on Thursday, and 40 mph gusts are possible on Thursday night.

Thursday has a high of 50 degrees, but temperatures will start falling in the afternoon. Wind chills on Thursday night could be as low as 5 below zero. There is also a chance of snow late Thursday.

Temperatures will moderate once again going into Saturday, the weather service said.

Speaking of moderation, the NOAA's 8-14 day temperature outlook also calls for some mild temperatures. The Chicago area has an above normal chance for above normal temperatures from Dec. 24-Dec. 30, as does nearly the entire United States.

AccuWeather's forecast calls for highs mostly in the 40s the week of Christmas, with a high of: 39 on Dec. 22, 45 on Dec. 23, 40 degrees on Christmas Eve and 39 on Christmas Day.

While those temperatures are mild, the warmest temperatures recorded on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are 20 degrees higher, according to weather service records.

The warmest Christmas Eve in Chicago happened in 1889 when it was 64 degrees; and the warmest Christmas Day was in 1982 when it was 64 degrees. In recent years, 2023 and 2019 claimed the second and third-warmest Christmases; with 59 degrees and 57 degrees, respectively.

After years of “fiscal cliffs and “doomsday scenarios,” Chicago transit now has a financial lifeline from Springfield.

On Tuesday at Union Station, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a sweeping transit bill designed to modernize public transportation throughout the state, but especially in the Chicago area.

“This is a once in a lifetime investment that will benefit everyone, especially the overall Illinois economy.” Prizker said.

The bill, which passed with mostly Democratic support, would replace the Regional Transportation Authority with a new body called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. The NITA would have expanded authority over the CTA, Metra and Pace.

The newly-signed legislation calls for $1.5 billion in new annual transit funding, which will come, in part, from redirecting the state fuel sales tax to fund transit. The change is expected to bring in about $860 million annually.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle called the measure "essential to our economic vitality and quality of life.”

Other funds will come from a quarter percent RTA sales tax increase in Cook, Lake, McHenry, DuPage and Will counties.

If the Illinois Tollway Authority approves, there would also be 45-cent increase in tolls.

“Communities can stop worrying about whether service can survive from one year to the next and start focusing on serving people better.” Said Laura Calderone, executive director of the Illinois Public Transportation Association.

There are also provisions designed to make it easier to go from one transit system to another, a unified fare structure, coordinated timetables and even a single phone app that will be used by all the agencies.

Safety is also part of the bill, including requiring updated safety plans and a new program that will put unarmed “ambassadors” on trains and buses.

All of the changes will kick in when the bill goes into effect in June of 2026.

The team said Wednesday it is expanding its search for a new stadium beyond the former Arlington Park site.

CHICAGO — With plans to build a new stadium at the former Arlington Park racetrack site seemingly on hold due to funding concerns, the Chicago Bears announced Wednesday that its search for a new home has expanded, with Northwest Indiana now in the mix.

"Consequently, in addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana," Kevin Warren, president and CEO of the Bears, said in a letter to fans. "This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights. Our fans deserve a world-class stadium."

Arlington Heights officials confirmed Wednesday night they're aware of the team exploring other options for building a new stadium. In a statement, officials said both the Village and team still believe Arlington Heights is the "best option" for the stadium and entertainment district.

"Due to restrictive legislation in Illinois, this exploration now includes moving to Indiana," Arlington Heights said. "The Village has been outspoken that a Megaproject bill is necessary to make a development project of this scale possible."

In February 2023, the Bears closed on a $197.2 million property agreement to buy the 326-acre property that housed the former racetrack.

In Warren's letter, he said the team is not asking for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park, "only for a commitment" to essential local infrastructure (roads, utilities, and site improvements), which they say are "typical" of projects of this size, along with "reasonable property tax certainty" to secure financing.

"We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership," Warren said, adding that the Bears are ready to invest $2 billion into the project.

The Village of Arlington Heights announced in October that it could receive at least $15 million annually, or $510 million over 40 years, if the Bears move forward with redeveloping the former Arlington Park site with a modern NFL stadium and complementary mixed-use district. Officials said they have received two preliminary Economic Impact Reports submitted by the Chicago Bears Football Club.

The Village said the reports were also independently peer reviewed by its consultant, Hunden Partners out of Chicago, and the reports are now publically available here.

"We encourage our Illinois State legislators to move forward with the Megaproject bill," Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia said. "This legislation will help to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois, within the limits of Cook County, and ultimately – in Arlington Heights."

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Illinois – Illinois wakes under a hard, metallic sky this morning as gusty northwest winds push –20°F wind chills into Chicago’s neighborhoods. Frost clings to rail platforms, and snow dust from last night’s flurries drifts across quiet intersections as the city leans into one of its sharpest December cold snap moments so far.

Very cold air continues pouring across Lake Michigan, holding wind chills between –10° and –25°F through midday. Meteorologists expect the coldest pockets across the Southwest Side and open stretches near I-55. Anyone traveling early should prepare for stinging wind on exposed skin and slower warm-up times for vehicles. Even though skies stay mostly clear, flash-freeze slick spots may form where minor melt refroze on shaded pavement.

By midmorning, the sun breaks through, but temperatures climb only toward 13°F, with winds gusting near 25 mph. The bitter air remains the dominant hazard today, keeping commuters bundled in multiple layers as trains, buses, and airport ramps contend with the harsh conditions.

Tonight stays frigid, with lows near 1°F and wind chills dipping back toward –10°F. Monday brings a gradual shift. Temperatures rebound into the mid-20s, and southwest winds increase to 10–15 mph. The city begins to thaw slightly by Tuesday, when highs push toward 38°F, a welcome — if temporary — winter tease in an otherwise cold December pattern.

Hydrologists continue monitoring river ice expansion along northern Illinois waterways. Ice jams remain possible, and rapid rises may occur with little warning. Warmer midweek temperatures could trigger slow melt later but remain uncertain.

Detroit’s The Armed are technicians when it comes to putting on an energetic performance. Each song is a new chaos for whatever size room the band happens to be playing. This is my expectation going into this show. The Armed, the post-hardcore collective, are here to play their second to last show of 2025 here at Thalia Hall. Here they will pull the laces tight on a year where they reaffirmed their vitality with THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED, their latest record, before tying a bow on it in their homecoming on the next date. Detroit is a five hour drive from here but it doesn’t feel so far from here.

The openers for the night were two of the noisiest rock bands The Great Lakes have to offer. Locals, Latter, opened the show with their well-choreographed blitz. Singer Merideth Haines, a recent transplant to the Windy City, made a quick name for her project with two back-to-back EPs, released a year apart. This was Latter’s first time playing Thalia, one of Chicago’s mid-size venues. Haines’ and crew didn’t pull any punches.

Next, Prostitute took the stage quietly. Singer Moe took the microphone and breathed an exasperated breath, then another, and another, until his exhales took on a rhythm which led into the first song. The crowd responded immediately, bouncing along to the band’s industrial rhythms. It was exciting to finally see the Dearborn, MI band after they had blasted onto the scene following their confrontational debut LP, Attempted Martyr, released at the very start of 2025. Latter and Prostitute are bands to watch in 2026.

Between the changeover to The Armed’s set a curtain dropped on to the stage, sending a loud pop through the concert hall. I hadn’t realized what the sound was until I turned around to see the nearly three story tall curtain looming over the crowd. When the house lights went dark a cacophony of songs that would constitute as “hype songs”, including a snippet of Star Wars theme, all overlapped with explosions that sounded like they were coming from a waterlogged jukebox.

The curtain opened revealing the band with singer/creative director, Tony Wolski tumbling out first like a vaudeville marionette. The band exploded into their first song and Wolski wasted no time hopping on to the crowd. Aside from banter breaks where Wolski marveled at the “original tin” adorning the opera boxes in Chicago’s Thalia Hall, there were few moments of rest for anyone on or off stage.

Throughout the night’s set it seemed like a tag team effort to get each member of The Armed into the crowd. If you’ve ever seen the video of The Dillinger Escape Plan playing the Virgin Megastore in 2005, that’s basically the vibe of a The Armed show and they did not disappoint tonight.

On their last record, THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED, The Armed further proved that they were capable of more than just mysterious gimmicks. Tracks from the new album are urgent and were some of the most raucous moments of the night. Newer tracks and those of the acclaimed ULTRAPOP kept the crowd moving. Even deeper cuts from the band’s catalog got some shine, with Woslki introducing “Night City Aliens” as “the video game one” (From Cyberpunk 2077). It felt like a well-rounded set for fans and stans alike.

The difference between The Armed now and The Dillinger Escape Plan circa 2005 is that there doesn’t seem to be imminent danger afoot. The Armed are not haphazardly throwing themselves around with abandon. There was no hard moshing or crowdkilling that I could see, but the bodies were flying. The controlled chaos of the crowd mixed with the real chaos imbued in their music feels wholly real, and the danger feels inviting.

Words by Blake Correll Photos by Mary Moore

Order tickets for the Armed HERE