Oh the weather outside is … freezing. Actually, it’s much colder than that.

Temperatures in northeast Ohio are expected to peak at a high of 16 degrees on Tuesday, with a low of 9 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Wind chills dipped between -15 and -20 degrees this morning and are expected to remain near-zero or slightly below into the evening. The sub-zero temperatures forced a number of Cleveland-area school districts to close on Tuesday.

Later this week, air temperatures in Cleveland could reach as low as -4 degrees on Friday night, according to NWS’ extended forecast.

When’s the last time that happened? Perhaps to no surprise, the last time temperatures dropped below zero in Cleveland was just last year, in late January.

Air temperatures in Cleveland reached a low of -5 degrees on January 22, 2025, with a high of only 16 degrees. The day before, temperatures peaked at 10 degrees with a low of -3 degrees. Those were the only two days last year that air temperatures reached sub-zero in Cleveland.

Going even further back, the coldest day in Cleveland on record was -20 degrees on Jan. 19, 1994. The high that day was a balmy -3 degrees.

Official air temperature records in Cleveland have been recorded at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport — located about 14 miles southwest of downtown Cleveland — since 1938. Prior to that, records were kept near Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland.

Below-zero temperatures can also create problems inside your home: Freezing and bursting pipes. The American Red Cross suggests opening cabinet doors underneath the sink in your kitchen and bathroom to help warmer air circulate around the plumbing, cleveland.com’s Julie Washington and Megan Sims previously reported.

Veterinarians also recommend pet owners take precautions to keep their four-legged friends warm amid the unusually cold temperatures.

“Frostbite and hypothermia are the two biggest threats facing pets in cold weather, which is made worse with temperatures less than zero degrees,” Beth Malinich, doctor of veterinary medicine at the Animal Hospital of Fairview Park, told cleveland.com.