Frozen Chicago could see a foot or more of snow on Tuesday

Already trapped in a deep freeze, Chicago can see up to a foot – or more – of new snowfall on Monday.

The snow is expected to start falling on Sunday night and may continue until Tuesday night, the National Meteorological Service said.

It will happen as Chicago tries to recover from an extremely cold weekend. With high single-digit bills, Night Ministry workers were out of the house on Sunday, checking on homeless people and offering help.

After dust expected to be less than an inch on Sunday, snow from the lake effect on Monday will bring about 7 to 15 inches at Midway Airport, the weather service said. There will probably be more snow on Tuesday. A foot is expected at O’Hare airport.

Fifteen inches “is probably the highest point of things there, but there will be some areas that are likely to see about a foot when all this is ready,” said meteorologist Kevin Donofrio, noting that the lake’s total snowfall may vary.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s high temperature peaked at just 4 degrees, breaking the record for Valentine’s Day’s lowest high temperatures – 8 degrees, recorded in 1943. Night temperatures can drop to -7, with chills potentially falling to -28, the weather service reported.

Anthony Vazquez / Sun-Times

At these temperatures, freezing is possible in less than 10 minutes, warned the meteorological service. Temperatures are not expected to rise above zero until next Sunday.

Amidst the long freeze, teams of community workers spread across the city this weekend to offer assistance to homeless Chicago residents.

Stephan Koruba, a practicing nurse at the Night Ministry, stopped at camps and other places on Sunday to ensure that homeless people do not suffer from ulceration or hypothermia and to offer blankets, gloves, hand warmers and food to those who resist the cold.

“These people are socially isolated by definition,” said Koruba as he worked under an overpass near Lower Michigan Avenue and Illinois Street. “For example, you come to someone asleep and you are not even sure if you are sleeping under that pile of clothes. You have to try to reach them before it becomes dangerous and they lose their lives. “

Anthony Vazquez / Sun-Times

Marcus Carter, 50, originally from Near West Side, was among those who accepted help from Koruba and his team on Sunday. Carter, who lost his home when his mother died last January, noted that living on the streets last year was “terrible” and said he was looking for a way out for the homeless.

“I just joined Social Security. I want an apartment, man, ”he said. “I will pay anything. Just get me off the streets. I want a place to live. I want a roof over my head. I don’t want to live like this. “

The Salvation Army spent the weekend doing similar outreach work in 22 locations in the city, including 12 homeless camps. This evangelistic effort, organized by the city’s Department of Family and Support Services, includes the distribution of food and winter clothing, but it also gives homeless residents the opportunity to get out of the cold – albeit temporarily.

Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times

But on Sunday afternoon, spokeswoman Katie Heinz Pfingsten said that community workers had not yet transported anyone to city-run heating centers. Koruba acknowledged that some homeless people do not want to leave their camps and go to a shelter or hotel because they fear that their personal belongings will be thrown away.

“That’s why some of the people behind a camp keep an eye on other people’s things,” he said. “Not everyone has this level of trust with their neighbors in their camps, but it is not uncommon.”

Despite the extreme weather, Carter said he would rather be under the downtown viaduct than in a shelter. He noted that some shelters require visitors to leave early in the morning and he fears that his personal items may be stolen.

“It is not a good place to be sometimes,” he said.

Contributing: Manny Ramos, David Struett