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CBS News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Many turn out in sweltering heat for weekend festivals in Chicago
Extreme heat is expected to hit the Chicago area again this week, and some felt the sweltering, humid temperatures on Sunday afternoon. The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications pushed out a heat advisory Sunday afternoon, which the office said will last until Monday evening. Festivals across the city went on as usual, but those who went had to deal with sticky conditions. Wicker Park Fest was among the events held this weekend in the eponymous Chicago neighborhood. Handheld fans and Italian ice were among the ways people were beating the heat. "Sweltering," said Wisdom Henry. "Brutal," said her boyfriend, Kyle Glenn. "I've been here for a couple of years. We've been enjoying Wicker Park Fest as many times as I've been here. So I thought it'd be a nice day. It is. It's just a little bit hot." The OEMC on put out a push alert on their app Sunday afternoon alerting the masses of a heat advisory. The office said the temperature is expecting the heat index to be between 105 and 109 degrees. "It's still a little toasty," said Wicker Park festgoer Amber Vanhemel. The OEMC said hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. "It was a lot," said Toi Wise. "The humidity, that's really what it was." Wise and several other people decided to sweat it out Sunday at the Faces of Fitness Chicago festival in the old Cabrini-Green area. Wise had a handheld fan with her for the occasion. "From the beginning, this fan has been my best friend all day," she said. "So the humidity and the heat; just making sure I stay hydrated." The two-day Faces of Fitness festival bills itself as "Lollapalooza, but for fitness. It features several outdoor workout classes, from Pilates and dance cardio to a workout with former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman. Wes Diveney said the energy was high at Faces of Fitness, and so was the humidity. "It's always hot during the summer, but I mean, everybody's pretty prepared," Diveney said, "and here's a lot of water hanging around, so everybody's hydrated and able to keep themselves cool." Wise emphasized the need for perseverance. "You push through. We came out here, you know, participating in the different fitness activities they had had going on, so take your breaks during that — you know, drink some water and you know, just kind of push through the heat," she said. "It's Chicago, summertime. You know it's going to be humid, it's going to be hot." The OEMC said anyone who is outside for an extended amount of time should be sure to drink plenty of fluids and take breaks in air conditioning. Potentially dangerous heat is expected to impact the Chicago area for the next couple of days.
Time Out
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time Out
The NASCAR street closures are officially here—what drivers need to know
It wouldn't be summer in Chicago if you weren't worried about your commute in one way or another, especially along the lake front. And now there's an additional cause for concern: The 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race will return to Grant Park for its third edition on Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6, which means street closures will be in full effect ahead of the event throughout the Loop for vehicle and pedestrian traffic. It's one thing if you're planning on attending the festivities (including the headlining performance from the Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band) and it's another if you're just trying to get to work. Having kicked off on June 19, closures will commence in phases with Balbo Drive between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive shutting down, followed by Ida B. Wells Drive, Congress Plaza Drive, and Michigan Avenue. By race weekend on July 5 and 6, you can expect all roads around Grant Park to be off-limits to vehicular traffic, including: DuSable Lake Shore Drive between McFetridge Drive and Randolph Street. Northbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Monroe Street. Southbound Michigan Avenue between Monroe Street to 8 th Street. Monroe Street from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Road to Monroe Street. Roosevelt Road from DuSable Lake Shore Drive to Michigan Avenue. Jackson Drive from Michigan Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive. Northbound Indiana Avenue between Roosevelt Road and 13 th Street. The full traffic plan and a summary of road impacts, including specific dates and times as well as sidewalk impacts, can be seen here, per the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. According to the OEMC, all businesses and residences will remain accessible during course setup, race weekend and the break-down. The traffic congestion will affect Chicagoans for a total of 18 days, which is graciously less than the inaugural event in 2023, yet it's still a significant inconvenience for local drivers. Plan ahead to avoid frustration and time stuck in traffic!
CBS News
20-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Chicago officials detail preparation efforts, offer tips ahead of this weekend's extreme heat
With the extreme heat approaching, pools and waterparks will be busy, but according to city officials, taking a dip will not be the only precaution people will need this weekend. Scorching temperatures and high humidity are a bad combo, especially when that's the forecast for three days in a row, making heat stroke a real possibility. On Friday, city officials, including Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, discussed the measures they're taking ahead of and during the first heat wave of the year. The city said it plans to operate cooling centers, but beware that many of them are only open on weekdays. In that case, libraries, park district buildings, and police stations are some spots where people can find some relief over the weekend. Officials also shared some alarming numbers showing how dangerous a heat wave can be. "Over the last three years, we have recorded 485 heat-related deaths in Chicago and more than 700 heat-related emergency department visits," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo Ige said. She added that men are more likely to experience a heat-related emergency than women. OEMC executive director Francisco Velez said they are monitoring the heat closely. "OEMC is working directly with the National Weather Center 24/7 to monitor the weather events and will alert residents if conditions worsen. OEMC is coordinating with city departments and sister agencies to ensure services and resources are available in response to the heat," he said. Mayor Johnson also stressed the importance of staying informed and checking on those with health conditions. "Over the next few days, make sure that we check in on our loved ones and neighbors, especially our seniors and those with health conditions, individuals with disabilities. We do have cooling locations all over the city, we have street outreach workers who are available as well to connect the unhoused Chicagoans with those resources," Johnson said. Doctors said seniors and anyone who takes beta blockers, diuretics, and sedatives are the most at risk. If you are worried about someone who lives in Chicago and can't make contact with them, you're encouraged to call 311 and request a well-being check.
Axios
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
How the George Floyd protests reshaped public safety in Chicago
The murder of George Floyd five years ago set off not just protests but full-scale riots around the country, including in Chicago. Why it matters: The protests fundamentally changed the way Chicago handles public demonstrations and protects communities. The city still uses some of the police tactics used in 2020, such as expressway ramp closures and curfews, to handle large-scale protests and celebrations. Flashback: On the night of May 29, 2020, mass gatherings grew unruly across the city, with riots sparking up in neighborhoods like Chatham and the South Loop. In the days following, downtown protesters set fire to police cars and looted several businesses along the Mag Mile. Then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago police made the rarely-used call to bring in the National Guard and raise the bridges along the Chicago River to control protests. What they're saying: "That horrible series of days is a big milestone in my time as mayor," Lightfoot told Axios at a recent event. "We were faced with the kind of crisis that this city hadn't faced in decades, since the death of Martin Luther King. I made a lot of decisions in the moment, some of which I never would have thought I'd make, like calling in the National Guard." Lightfoot said the city knew major crowds were heading downtown but that the crowds were hijacked by people intending to fight the police and cause chaos. "I remember sitting at OEMC [911 Center] watching this mayhem play out all across the city," Lightfoot continued. "There was a CTA bus caught on Wacker Drive, going eastbound. The crowd was trying to flip the bus with passengers in it. That told me a lot about the moment we are in, which was part of why we had to raise the bridges to give our police department a chance to maintain public order." Yes, but: Lightfoot and then-police superintendent David Brown also authorized questionable tactics to control protesters, including kettling. There were reports of physical altercations with batons. The city shut down expressway ramps to deter protesters from coming downtown and instituted a rarely used curfew. Over 100 protesters were arrested and several officers were injured on the night of May 29 alone. Zoom out: Lightfoot used curfews again in 2022 to curb downtown teen gatherings, while Mayor Brandon Johnson and new police superintendent Larry Snelling used temporary curfews and kettling during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to protesters, but Snelling has denied using kettling. Expressway ramp closures and checkpoints have been utilized again for downtown celebrations, including the Mexican Independence Day caravans, while the City Council is debating " snap curfews" to give the police more power to deter large teen gatherings in the Loop. Since the looting on Michigan Avenue, many retailers have left the area or have hired extra security. The police just ended scarecrow policing — parking police cruisers on public roads with their flashers on to prevent crime — along the Mag Mile last year, after it had been used since the looting in 2020. Between the lines: Lightfoot says the protests left a lasting mark on her political career. "You can't be the mayor of Chicago because you want everybody to love you," Lightfoot said. "You have to make decisions that are in the best interest of the well-being of the city, not by just following which way the political winds are blowing. I feel proud of my administration's legacy, but I think that cost me a lot."
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Forecast: Continued cold, chance of passing flurries
Conditions will continue to be cold in the nighttime and overnight hours and there may be some passing flurries. Look for Thursday to again start with bone-chilling wind chills, possibly as low as -10 to -15 degrees. The day will give us generous sunshine that will help each that chill slightly by the afternoon, with highs peaking in the lower- or middle-20s. A fairly steady northwest wind at 10 to 18 mph, with some gusts near 25 mph, will keep wind chills in the single digits during the afternoon. Lake effect snow looks like it'll impact northwest Indiana overnight tonight and into Thursday morning. A Winter Weather Advisory for LaPorte County, Ind., kicked in at 3 p.m. Wednesday and is set to expire at 6 p.m. Thursday. Areas on the eastern side of Lake Michigan could see between 2 and 7 inches of accumulating snow. Weather Maps Weather & Climate News Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter The current area of bitterly cold air will finally break down in coming days. A large area of frigid arctic air currently in place will slowly migrate back into eastern Canada by this weekend. The jet stream will become more westerly, delivering milder, Pacific-origin air. The City of Chicago coordinates a network of more than 190 public facilities available for warming. This includes participating Chicago Public Library locations, Chicago Park District, Chicago Police Department and City Colleges of Chicago facilities during business or designated hours. Department of Family & Support Services: The Chicago Department of Family & Support Services activates warming areas at the city's six community service centers when temps are 32 degrees or below. The warming areas are open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with reduced locations on holidays. Under extreme cold conditions, as defined by the National Weather Service and communicated by OEMC, warming center hours of operation at 10 S. Kedzie may be extended. Seniors are welcome at any of DFSS's 21 senior centers. DFSS partners with OEMC to use robocalls to inform seniors of key information regarding how to stay safe during extreme weather. Visit for senior center locations and hours. Those seeking a warm place to go after hours can also call 3-1-1 to be connected with available services. Individuals requiring emergency overnight shelter should also call 3-1-1. DFSS Homeless Outreach and Prevention (HOP) teams and street outreach partners work proactively with unhoused individuals to connect with warming options, shelter and well-being checks. Residents are also encouraged to check on relatives, neighbors and friends during a winter weather emergency. All Community Service Centers (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) Englewood Community Service Center – 1140 West 79th Street. Garfield Community Service Center – 10 South Kedzie Avenue. Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center – 4314 South Cottage Grove. North Area Community Service Center – 845 West Wilson Avenue. South Chicago Community Service Center – 8650 South Commercial Avenue. Trina Davila Community Service Center – 4312 West North Avenue. Senior Centers (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) – visit for locations. Chicago Public Library locations, visit for hours and locations. Information about Cook County warming centers outside the City of Chicago area is available on the county government website at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
