Care for When It's Cold

Find the latest information on emergency shelters and enhanced street outreach — and how to volunteer if needed. Check out other tips and resources for how to stay safe during the winter months.

Updated 9:11 a.m. Feb. 10, 2025

Emergency shelters will open tonight in Multnomah County at 8 p.m. through at least 12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb 11. 

Multnomah County will declare a state of emergency effective 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10; the weather forecast meets thresholds (see below) to open severe weather shelters.

Local officials use these thresholds — in consultation with National Weather Service experts, Emergency Management, the Health Department, County Human Services, the Joint Office of Homeless Services and the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management — to activate emergency severe weather shelter plans.

Shelters opening from 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, through at least noon Tuesday, Feb. 11, include:

These shelters will join Multnomah County and the City of Portland’s nearly 3,000 year-round shelter beds plus 200 winter-only beds at two Salvation Army shelters. As of Sunday, Feb. 9, the Salvation Army’s winter beds still had some room for people seeking shelter.

The Joint Office of Homeless Services tonight has also activated its enhanced outreach program.

No one seeking shelter will be turned away. All sites will welcome pets and be accessible to people with disabling conditions. Free transportation to warming shelters will be available by calling 2-1-1. 

Also, TriMet will not turn away anyone traveling to or from a warm place who is unable to pay fare from 6 p.m. Monday through noon Tuesday. People planning to use TriMet to get to a warming shelter should check for routes at trimet.org and let the driver know they are headed to a shelter.

211info staff are available to identify shelters and warming spaces in Multnomah County 24/7, along with reviewing transportation options.

Maps show shelters, daytime warming spaces, other resources 

To find warming spaces open today, including Multnomah County Library branches and the shelter locations opening tonight, please see this interactive map. 

You can also download and print updated maps of shelter sites in English and Spanish:

If you are concerned about someone you see during colder conditions, such as an individual who is not dressed for the weather conditions, call the non-emergency response line at 503-823-3333 and request a welfare check.

If someone is unsheltered and their life appears to be in danger, call 9-1-1 for medical attention.

Winter weather is especially dangerous for anyone experiencing houselessness, and can also pose a greater risk for older adults and people with disabilities.

Beyond shelters, other work ongoing to support the community

The Joint Office of Homeless Services is continuing its enhanced outreach program — an unprecedented almost month-long activation that started Jan. 10. During enhanced outreach, the Joint Office divides the County into zones and works with nonprofit providers and community groups to make sure each zone has one or more teams checking on people without shelter and delivering life-safety supplies, including warm clothing, blankets and hand warmers.

Since Jan. 10, the Joint Office through its coordinated outreach work has distributed 5,120 hand-warming packs, 1,028 sweatshirts, 1,028 pairs of sweatpants, 5,120 ponchos, 3,072 warm hats, 3,072 pairs of gloves, 6,144 pairs of socks, 5,026 wool blankets, 4,870 tarps, 950 tents, 953 sleeping bags, 5,120 mylar blankets and 102,436 bottles of water.

Multnomah County and the City of Portland have also worked with The Salvation Army to open 200 additional beds of overnight-only shelter through the winter season. Those seasonal beds could convert to 24-hour beds, or stay open longer than overnight, in the event severe weather shelters activate and also remain open longer than overnight. The seasonal beds join nearly 3,000 year-round, 24-hour shelter beds open in the County.

The County has also been monitoring emergency systems to measure how the weather is impacting the community. 

Volunteering to support our warming shelters

During dangerous weather emergencies, Multnomah County opens life-saving Disaster Resource Centers (DRCs) across our community that offer people shelter, safety, resources and connection — especially those who are at greatest risk of harm. We often welcome the support of community members when the need arises. Visit the “Volunteer at a County emergency shelter” webpage to learn about info sessions and training opportunities, as well as emergency shelter roles and their requirements.

Many organizations providing aid to people experiencing homelessness also partner with community volunteers to offer their services and accept community donations. 211info also has a winter-focused donations site.

Severe weather thresholds for opening emergency shelter

County staff monitor weather conditions and other factors, including temperature fluctuations, precipitation, windchill and emergency department visits for hypothermia. Once forecasts show the potential for thresholds to be met, officials meet daily to discuss those weather conditions — consulting with Emergency Management, Health Department, County Human Services and Joint Office experts — and then jointly decide on shelter plans as needed.

Severe weather shelters open as needed when any of the following thresholds are met for any one of the conditions below that are forecasted to persist for four (4) hours or more between the hours of 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.

  • Forecast temperature of 25° F (-4° C) or below
  • Forecast temperature at or below 32° F (0° C) with 1 inch or more of rain and with sustained winds greater than 10 mph overnight
  • Forecast snow accumulation of 1 inch (25 mm) or more over a 24-hour period

The County’s Chief Operating Officer or their designee may consider other conditions or circumstances during a severe weather event that could increase the risk to the community and activate elements included in this standard operating procedure. 

The basic thresholds the County uses were first developed and used by the City of Portland, before the Joint Office of Homeless Services was created, when the City served as the lead agency providing severe weather shelter for adults experiencing homelessness.

Cold weather alerts for enhanced outreach

Even when severe weather thresholds aren't met, the Joint Office of Homeless Services may issue a “cold weather alert” as cold and wet conditions warrant. This activates enhanced outreach. Cold weather alerts do not activate the County’s response to open severe weather beds at additional warming shelters.

During enhanced outreach, providers conduct additional and focused outreach to find vulnerable people, and they can quickly obtain and distribute cold weather gear from the Joint Office supply distribution center. Providers will also step up coordination to share information on resources and available shelter. Overflow shelter capacity will be made available to outreach workers, who can refer people in need.

The following conditions lasting for four (4) or more hours overnight activate the highest level of enhanced outreach. In some cases, thresholds may be met only in certain zones; enhanced outreach can be specific to those zones.

  • Temperatures forecast to reach 32 degrees or below, without precipitation
  • Windchills forecast to reach 25 degrees or below, without precipitation
  • Temperatures forecast to reach 34 degrees or below, alongside precipitation of more than one tenth of an inch  

Contact

Non-emergency response line

Phone

503-823-3333

Communications Office