It was a brisk start to 2025 with a high temperature of just 34 degrees. The first days of 2024 and 2023, however, were an ideal start if your resolution was to get in more steps or to walk the dog more often.

The Chicago area Wednesday was waking up to an icy cold morning, with another day of morning wind chills below zero thanks to an Arctic blast that gripped the region earlier in the week. The cold temperatures — with wind chills as low as -30 in some parts — led to more than 100 schools closed,