Chicago Weather: It's So Cold That You Shouldn't Talk Too Much--Or Breathe

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It will be so cold outside that you shouldn't talk.

That's the warning from the National Weather Service as potentially record-breaking cold slams Chicago and the Midwest.

In addition to the usual dress in layers and cover your mouth warnings, the NWS in Des Moines said, "to protect your lungs from severely cold air, avoid taking deep breaths; minimize talking."

A wind chill advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday, followed by a wind chill warning through noon Thursday, as temperatures are expected to reach as low as 23 below zero Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with wind chills ranging from 30 to 55 below.

Wednesday's forecast high of 14 below zero would set a record for the coldest high temperature ever.

Temperatures on Wednesday are expected to be in the negative range all day, with a high of about 12 below, which would be the coldest high temperature on record for Jan. 30 in Chicago. Overnight lows will reach as low as 23 below zero, only a few degrees higher than the coldest temperature ever in Chicago, when it was 27 below on Jan. 20, 1985.