Bitter cold breaks daily temperature records across Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Wind chills dipped as low as 56 degrees below zero in northern Illinois as bitter cold weather moved into Illinois .

The National Weather Service said Illinois is "about as dangerously cold as it can be." The temperature Wednesday was 26 below in Rochelle, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Rockford. Daily low temperature records fell in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal and Champaign-Urbana.

Chicago and Rockford's all-time low temperatures of 27 below still stood Wednesday afternoon but weather service meteorologist Todd Kluber said they could fall overnight Wednesday into Thursday.