Rebecca Johnson, Sarah Freishtat and Kate Armanini | Chicago Tribune

Wind chills climbed into the single digits and teens Wednesday, a welcome reprieve for some electric vehicle owners in Chicago.

The increased energy consumption left many Tesla drivers with dying batteries and longer waits at charging stations during the cold snap. Teslas use more energy in the cold to heat the battery and cabin, according to the company.

On Wednesday afternoon, a dozen Teslas lined the fifth floor of a South Loop parking garage equipped with chargers. While most drivers didn’t have to wait in line, many remained frustrated after a weekend of freezing temperatures.

“It’s ridiculous,” said Chernara Baker, a dentist from the South Shore. “It’s a California car. There just aren’t enough charging stations in the Midwest.”

When temperatures began dropping, Baker said her partner had to wait two hours at a station. She’s had to charge it every day since. An at-home charger isn’t possible, she said, because she lives in a condo.

Derick Holmes, 42, walked across the parking garage to his parked Tesla. Over the weekend, he said it took him three hours to charge it each day, calling it a “shock.” When he was at a charging station on Saturday, he witnessed several people’s cars die while waiting in line.

“It makes me regret getting a Tesla,” Holmes said. “They were stuck overnight.”

Across the lot, 20-year-old Afil Alramahi sat in her Tesla with the heat on high. The University of Illinois Chicago student just bought the car last week.

“Every single time I try to charge it, the wait time is so long,” Alramahi said. “The battery runs out pretty fast, it’s so frustrating.”

More snow is on the way Thursday, along with severe wind chills. The frigid weather has canceled and delayed dozens of flights at O’Hare International and Midway airports.

The National Weather Service also warned ice will be seen on almost all local rivers this week, leading to an increased risk of ice jams, which can cause significant water level fluctuations with little to no warning. Flood warnings are in effect for the Kankakee River, which has seen flash flooding since Monday, prompting a warning to residents along the river to be “prepared for rapidly changing conditions.”