It’s about to get unusually cold- even for Chicago.

While this week's temperatures may not be unheard of in a winter season, they're quite rare for early December. So rare they haven't been seen this early into meteorological winter for several decades.

Temperatures Wednesday night will drop into the single digits, and some of the western and northern suburbs away from the lake could drop below zero. Wind chills will range anywhere from -5 to -20 degrees, with gusts up to 25 mph. Areas closest to the lake will be on the mild side of that range since the water temperature in Lake Michigan is still around 40 degree.

So how unusual is this cold air for early December?

The record low for Dec. 4 is 0 degrees, which was set in 1893, but the last time a temperature of 5 degrees or colder was

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