Most Chicago-area county courthouses, government buildings and outdoor spaces, museums, businesses, colleges and more places have announced widespread closures for Friday as well.

For families in need of a fun accessible and affordable indoor activity, the Chicago’s Children Museum at Navy Pier will be offering buy one, get one free admission and 50% off Navy Pier Parking on Friday.

“One of the wonderful things about our space on Navy Pier is that we do have an indoor garage so folks can get to us and get out and walk entirely indoors safely,” said Noah Cruickshank with the Chicago Children’s Museum.

The Goddard School in Roscoe Village says it will open its educational facilities to families with children 6 weeks to 6 years old in need of childcare during the day Friday, hoping to ease the burden off working parents.

“Bottom line is, they will need childcare services tomorrow, right?” Goddard School Roscoe Village owner Boris Kholyavsky said. “And how do we do that? How do we be a good neighbor in our community and support our families?”

The 2026 Chicago Plunge was canceled due to the extreme conditions; however the after party at HQ Beercade will continue, The Chicago Polar Bear Club said.

Helping people who are unhoused during extreme cold

On Thursday, an annual one-night census of the unhoused happened to fall on a brutally cold night, forcing hundreds of volunteers to brave the extreme temperatures.

With temperatures expected to plunge into the negatives, the city says they will also be keeping an eye on some of the most vulnerable groups.

“We certainly see a surge in well being checks through 911 and 311,” OEMC Manager Matt Doughtie said.

The city’s office of Emergency Management and Communications is preparing for a bitter blast, and closely monitoring the forecast. They are urging people to limit their time outdoors.

“It only takes upwards of 10-15 minutes to start exhibiting symptoms of frostbite for exposed skin,” Doughtie said.

The cold blast came as approximately 550 city staff, volunteers and street outreach teams will be doing their annual Point in Time Count. The federally-mandated, single-night tally collects data on unhoused individuals living in shelters or city streets.

‘So we’re going on the bridges, we’re going to the parks, into encampments and talk to individuals,” Department of Family & Support Serves Commissioner Angela Green said.

Green says those who are unhoused are connected with resources on the spot and offered a place to stay.

“Not only do we give them a little bit of food and some things to stay warm, but we also offer them shelter immediately, depending on their choice,” Green said. “We don’t do anything involuntarily, but we do have our shelter open to them for them to get into a warm space and then work towards their housing.”

At a Near North Side shelter, a hot meal on a cold Thursday night provided warmth, comfort and relief.

“It’s really, really difficult and an added layer of stress that I wouldn’t wish onto anybody to have to worry about like, oh, where am I going to lay my head tonight?” shelter guest Aristotle McDaniel said. “It’s going to be zero degrees.”

McDaniel was among the guests at Lincoln Park Community Services, one of dozens of Chicago shelters doing the tally of unhoused people, which helps determine federal funding and service needs.

“It is the census for those experiencing homelessness, and that’s how resources are channeled into our community,” Lincoln Park Community Services CEO Cheryl Hamilton-Hill said. “They can get the counseling support that they need, food, other resources, but it puts them on a path to stable housing.”

Officials expect last year’s figure of some 19,000 unhoused people in Chicago will likely increase.

“Going out to serve our most vulnerable and hard to reach community members is God’s work,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

Tips to safeguard homes against dangerous cold

These are the most dreadful days of Chicago winters, and with record -low temperatures on the way, it’s all about how to prepare.

Plumbing companies and HVAC companies are already jam-packed with service calls around the area, and they say it’s important to double check a few things around the house Thursday so people are not stuck in the cold when that arctic blast arrives.

“If a stream of -20 air hits that little tiny cap, boom that’s where it’s exploding,” Rescue Plumbing owner Benjamin Vance said.

Rescue Plumbing has been busy today responding to service calls around the Chicagoland area. They’re urging residents to prep their homes for the dangerously cold weather that’s on the way, and the most important thing is to make sure those pipes don’t freeze.

“The best way to prevent this is open up your kitchen cabinet, point a heater at it,” Vance said.

It’s important to be careful with those space heaters though, making sure to not trip any breakers.

As for running water, some prefer to drip their faucet, but Vance says it’s important to have a steady flowing coming out, with both the hot and cold water turned on. Frozen pipes can burst and cause much more damage behind the walls and under sinks.

“Let it run you want it to move, who cares about wasting a water bill for 20 to 50 bucks when you’re gonna call me and we’ll charge you $300 and up to open up your wall and repair your pipe,” Vance said.

It’s also a busy week for Shavitz Heating and Cooling, as service technicians are running around the clock to make sure people are staying warm.

“We’ve been pretty slammed. It’s been consistent. No matter if it’s 30 or -30, we’re getting calls our schedules are getting filled up quick the importance is really doing your standard heating maintenance,” said Sam Gordon, a Shavitz Heating and Cooling service tech.

Gordon says keeping the thermostat at a reasonable temperature is critical, but the most important thing is to make sure your air filter is fresh before the arctic blast arrives.

“It’s important for folks to definitely change filters that can cause furnaces to overheat that’s really common,” Gordon said. “Gas pressure can fluctuate when everybody’s using their heat this kind of time.”

Protecting vehicles from extreme cold

Staying home in this dangerous cold is not an option for a lot of people.

AAA is bracing for a spike in roadside assistance calls.

Aside from layers, drivers heading out on Friday or this weekend will want to make sure they have an emergency car kit.

You can never go wrong with snacks and water. Triple A also says your safety kit should have a phone charger, jumper cables and extra blankets and clothes just to be safe.

Drivers will also want to make sure they are prepared on the roads by double checking car batteries. AAA also says electric vehicle owners should be careful as these cold temperatures can cut your range by up to 40%.

Those to be on the road during Chicago’s deep freeze have a few things they need to know before ending up in deep, possibly dangerous trouble.

“The biggest thing is the battery making sure you have a good strong battery that’s been tested that’s going to hold up to the temperatures and actually start the car,” Ashland Tire and Auto owner Ken Papas said.

Papas says taking the time to make sure vehicles are in good shape before driving is a matter of safety. This is not the time nor the temperature to just get in the car and go.

“The cold is hard enough give your car the benefit of the doubt, let it warm up and be ready to be driven,” Papas said.

AAA says they expect to get an uptick in calls for roadside assistance in the days to come. The most common issues are dead vehicle batteries, tire issues and crashes. AAA says while their crews will be on standby to help, it’s important drivers get their emergency car kits ready now.

“We always talk about having that emergency car kit. This is a time more than ever to have it,” AAA spokesperson Molly Hart said. “You want to have your cell phone charger, jumper cables, extra blankets and clothing for all passengers with this frigid cold, all these things to ensure safety for you.”

Metra will operate a reduced schedule on all its lines Friday.

Visit metra.com for more information.

The South Shore Line will also operate on a weekend/holiday schedule Friday.

Protecting pets from dangerous cold

The extreme cold can also cause some serious health problems for pets.

Dr. Michael Bailey, president of the Schaumburg-based American Veterinary Medical Association, joined ABC7 Thursday night to discuss keeping pets safe.

More information can be found at avma.org.

On Thursday, ABC7 captured damaged vehicles after a water main break at Bryn Mawr and California Avenues on the city’s North Side.

On Saturday into Sunday, a major storm sweeping the south and northeast of the U.S. will likely being some snow to the southern suburbs of Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Lake-effect snow is possible on Monday morning.

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Millions of Americans brace for potentially catastrophic ice storm