The city of Denver will keep its cold weather shelters open 24 hours a day over the long holiday weekend to protect people from dangerous conditions amid a blast of arctic air that is expected to grip the eastern part of the state through Tuesday.
The city’s announcement comes after Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration on Thursday mobilizing the Colorado National Guard to assist communities with keeping their residents safe.
The state is keeping a running list of shelters and other warming center resources available on its Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website at dhsem.colorado.gov.
“No one should freeze to death in our state for lack of shelter,” Polis said in a statement Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning for the metro area and other eastern Colorado counties starting Friday night and stretching into Tuesday. In Denver, that warning will coincide with chances of snow starting Friday evening and running through Monday night.
Windchill could drop as low as -20 degrees in the city over the weekend. Across the eastern half of the state, some areas could see windchill as low as -35 degrees, according to the Weather Service.
“Frostbite and hypothermia will be possible for anyone exposed to the elements,” Weather Service officials said in a hazardous weather advisory. “It is important to dress appropriately with multiple layers of clothing, hat, and mittens if you do venture out.”
For Denver, the blast of dangerous cold comes as Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration has filled converted hotels and other forms of shelter with people who are homeless and migrants who have arrived in the city from the southern border in recent months. Now some of those hotels will be part of an emergency cold weather response as well.
People seeking shelter in Denver are urged to go to the city’s “front door” access points to receive help. For single men, that is the Lawrence Street Community Center at 2222 Lawrence St. For women, that is the Samaritan House at 2301 Lawrence St. And for young people between the ages of 15 and 20 years old, that is Urban Peak at 2100 Stout St., according to the city.
Families in need should call the city’s Connection Center at 303-295-3366, city spokeswoman Derek Woodbury said.
The city’s emergency warming shelters at a former DoubleTree Hotel at 4040 Quebec St. and a former Best Western Hotel at 4595 Quebec St. will open at 7 p.m. Friday and remain open until at least 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to the city’s update.
Daytime warming space will be available at all open city recreation centers during their regular business hours over the weekend. Libraries will also serve that purpose, according to Friday’s announcement.
All city offices and facilities are scheduled to be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, but the Glenarm Recreation Center at 2800 Glenarm Place will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. specifically as a warming shelter, city officials said.
The city may extend emergency resources on Tuesday depending on the weather conditions. More information is available at denvergov.org/findshelter.
The Denver City Council on Tuesday night is scheduled to vote on a bill that would ban Denver police and other agencies from taking away a homeless person’s tent or other shelter if temperatures are at or below 32 degrees.
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