It's not just humans who dislike these sub-zero temperatures - trees can have volatile reactions too.
The internet has stories of trees exploding due to rapidly dropping temperatures but an expert from the Morton Arboretum says that’s rare.
Plant Clinic Manager Sharon Yielsa says frost cracks are much more likely.
They are long vertical cuts that appear in weak points on a tree trunk, usually when the temperature is below 15 degrees.
The arboretum explains it’s because trees expand in the warm winter sunlight and the outer layer of wood contracts more quickly when the sun disappears.
Yiesla says trees usually heal from frost cracks, which mostly occur in young trees with thin bark.
She says homeowners don’t really need to do anything to protect their trees but can help keep them healthy enough to recover by watering them during the growing season and mulching.
The cold prompted the arboretum to push back their opening time on Friday.