Resources and Shelter information for Colorado Extreme Cold

WARMING SHELTERS/RESOURCES FOR UPCOMING COLORADO TEMPERATURES:

Colorado Governor Jared Polis activated the National Guard to assist with the extreme cold. There will be 100 members of the National Guard to support operations across the state.

The temperature in Denver will drop to around 13 below zero starting Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder. The high temperature on Thursday is expected to be around minus 2. The NWS said the last time Denver had a high below zero was Feb. 5, 2014.

Wind chills will make the weather even more extreme. By Wednesday night, the NWS said, wind chills will be “dangerously cold” — about minus 32 in Denver and minus 50 in the northeast plains of Colorado. At that temperature, frostbite can occur on exposed flesh in 10 minus or less.

The high temperature Friday is likely to be in the teens, then warming over the following days. On Christmas, the NWS is forecasting a high of about 51.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has useful information at this link for spotting and treating hypothermia and frostbite.

• The City and County of Denver is turning the Denver Coliseum into a 24-hour warming station for people in need of shelter. The shelter opens Wednesday
  • Transportation to the Coliseum will begin Wednesday afternoon. Buses will make rotations from the Denver Rescue Mission’s Lawrence St. Community Center to the Coliseum, and the city noted that walk-ups and drop-offs to the Coliseum are also allowed.”

• People in need of shelter can also visit Denver recreation centers and public libraries to escape the cold. However, those facilities will only be available during business hours. Recreation center locations and business hours are available here. Library locations and hours can be found here.

(Three recreation centers, however, are currently being used to shelter migrants who arrived in the city in recent weeks. According to a Dec. 19 press release from the Denver Office of Emergency Management (OEM), 408 migrants are currently sheltered at Denver recreation centers. Since Dec. 9, the city has assisted more than 1,100 migrants, Denver OEM said.)

• East Boulder Community Center, 5660 Sioux Dr. at 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to a release from the city. The shelter will stay open through Saturday morning.
• Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, 4869 Broadway, will also open on Wednesday and Thursday nights, when the arctic blast will bring wind chills that could drop to 50 degrees below zero. The shelter will also stay open all day on Thursday and Friday for those who stayed overnight.\
• Pueblo Transit Center is also opening as a warming shelter.
  • This warming shelter will be available through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night.
• Springs Rescue Mission and RJ Montgomery Center in Colorado Springs have beds available for those that need them.

Additional extreme weather shelters according to 211 search:

• Cold Weather Shelter for Men
  •  1680 Sherman St, Denver, CO
  • Phone number:  (303) 881-0952
  • Website: http://www.newgenesis.org
• Cold Weather Shelter for Single Adults
  • 527 State St, Fort Morgan, CO
  • (970) 370-8880
  • Website: https://www.risingupmorgancounty.com

Additional resources:

• Search for resources through Colorado 211 here.
• https://www.haatforce.org/
• https://www.headinghomejeffco.com/partner-page 
• https://www.douglas.co.us/douglas-countys-shelter-emergency-response-plan-for-upcoming-arctic-storm/

THE DENVER DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMPILED THIS LIST OF TIPS FOR DEALING WITH EXTREME COLD:

• Prepare for power outages. Gather supplies in case you need to stay home for several days without power. Keep in mind, each person’s specific needs, including medication. Have extra batteries for radios and flashlights.
• If you lose heat at your home, consider visiting a warming center to stay warm.
• If you must be outdoors, dress in multiple layers of warm clothing, including hat, mittens, scarves, and boots.
• Keep refrigerators and freezers closed in the event of power outage. If your power is out for more than four hours, discard perishable food like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers.
• Create an emergency supply kit for your car. Include jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, bottled water, and non-perishable snacks. Keep the gas tank full.
• Listen for emergency information and alerts.
• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Only use generators and grills outdoors and away from windows. Never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven.