Multnomah County’s eight severe weather shelters will remain open all day Friday, Feb. 14, through at least 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, as snowy and icy conditions are forecast but expected to start improving tomorrow. Additional beds will also be added today at several severe weather shelter locations.
A total of 709 people sought refuge at the County’s eight emergency warming shelters that were open overnight on Thursday, Feb. 13. The County is also continuing to support two City of Portland winter shelters managed by The Salvation Army so they can remain open during the day instead of operating overnight only.
Altogether, at least 920 people stayed in the shelters last night on top of the nearly 3,000 shelter beds available year-round.
The County is asking community volunteers to help at emergency shelters. People who have volunteered before or who have previously participated in one of the County’s 50-plus training and informational sessions are particularly encouraged to sign up. The County is also encouraging people with experience in human services and health-related settings to volunteer.
But anyone is welcome to fill a shift as the region navigates snow and potential ice storms alongside freezing temperatures. Visit the volunteer webpage to learn more and find links to sign up.
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson also extended her emergency declaration for Multnomah County through at least 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.
“This has been a long severe weather event that continues to require vigilance and resilience. We’ve expanded shelters every day this week to meet the need,” said Chair Vega Pederson.
“Our shelters are saving lives. Thank you to every provider, staff member and neighbor who has come out in bad weather to make sure everyone who needs one has a place to weather this storm. Your continued hard work is needed and appreciated.”
The following eight emergency severe weather shelters are open all day today, Feb. 14, through at least 10 a.m. tomorrow, Feb. 15.
No one seeking shelter will be turned away. All sites welcome pets and are accessible to people with disabling conditions.
- Cook Plaza (19421 S.E. Stark St., Gresham) — operated by Cultivate Initiatives and Multnomah County
- Hollywood Shelter (1815 N.E. 43rd Ave., Portland) — operated by Transition Projects
- N.W. 14th Avenue Shelter (600 N.W. 14th Ave., Portland) — operated by Do Good Multnomah
- Ascension Church Tony Rinella Hall (823 S.E. 76th Ave, Portland) — operated by Multnomah County
- Grand Oak Shelter (324 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland) — operated by Multnomah County
- Charles Jordan Community Center (9009 N. Foss Ave., Portland) — operated by Multnomah County
- Friendly House (1737 N.W. 26th Ave.) — operated by Multnomah County
- Bud Clark Commons (650 N.W. Irving St.) — operated by Multnomah County
Multnomah County and its partners continue to watch the forecasts and will be ready to keep shelters open longer as needed.
The County will continue to add capacity as needed and will continue to send official announcements if shelters remain open on additional days.
Please note that while emergency shelters and essential County services and sites are open today, most Multnomah County offices, libraries and services are closed.
Transportation to shelters is available; call 2-1-1
Free transportation to warming shelters will be available by calling 2-1-1. 211info staff are available to identify shelters and warming spaces in Multnomah County 24/7, along with transportation options. However, some ride arrivals today may take longer due to travel conditions.
Also, TriMet will not turn away anyone traveling to or from an emergency warming shelter. 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.
To find warming spaces open today, 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.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services is also continuing its enhanced outreach program today. The Joint Office has activated its coordinated outreach efforts repeatedly since Jan. 10, 2025, an unprecedented stretch in response to the past few weeks of cold temperatures.
For the latest information as conditions change, please bookmark and visit multco.us/cold.
Volunteering to support our warming shelters
Multnomah County is recruiting community volunteers to serve as general staff at our emergency severe weather shelters.
Interested volunteers should click on one of the shelter locations listed below to sign up for shifts at that location. Volunteers should give extra consideration to taking shifts at a location they can travel to safely and arrive on time.
- Volunteer at Cook Plaza 2nd Floor (19421 S.E. Stark St., Gresham)
- Volunteer at Friendly House (1737 N.W. 26th Ave., Portland)
- Volunteer at Bud Clark Commons Warming Shelter (650 N.W. Irving St., Portland)
- Volunteer at Charles Jordan Community Center (9009 N. Foss Ave., Portland)
- Volunteer at Grand Oak Shelter (324 S.E. Grand Ave., Portland)
- Volunteer at Ascension Church Tony Rinella Hall (823 S.E. 76th Ave., Portland)
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.
Hundreds sought refuge at shelters Feb. 13
In addition to the 709 people who sought refuge at the six emergency warming shelters overnight Feb. 13, an additional 191 people stayed at the two overnight Salvation Army seasonal winter shelters, and 20 others used emergency overflow beds made available at year-round shelters for a total of 920 people sheltered during last night’s peak. Pets were welcome.
Overnight Feb. 13, 211info coordinated transportation for 163 people seeking shelter, including 12 with mobility devices. Icy and snowy road conditions added to some wait times. Community volunteers also continued to help drive people to shelters.
These seasonal and emergency shelters join Multnomah County and the City of Portland’s nearly 3,000 year-round shelter beds that operate 24/7 and are almost always at capacity. While those beds are often mostly full, they provide important respite for hundreds of people night after night and help keep more people out of the elements in the first place.
Beyond shelters, other work ongoing to support the community
The Joint Office of Homeless Services on Thursday, Feb. 13, will once again meet thresholds to activate its enhanced outreach program. 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. The teams also deliver life-safety supplies, including warm clothing, blankets and hand warmers.
Since Jan. 10, the Joint Office has provided outreach teams with 6,100 hand warmers, 1,224 hoodies, 1,224 pairs of sweatpants, 6,100 ponchos, 3,660 warm hats, 3,660 pairs of warm gloves, 7,320 pairs of socks, 6,154 wool blankets, 5,790 tarps, 1,088 tents, 1,094 sleeping bags, 6,100 mylar blankets, and 113,548 bottles of water.
The County has also been monitoring emergency systems to measure how the weather is impacting the community.
Winter weather is especially dangerous for anyone experiencing houselessness, and can also pose a greater risk for older adults and people with disabilities.
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. The County has since expanded the thresholds and added a separate cold weather response on nights when thresholds aren’t met.
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
Stay informed and check on neighbors
Emergency managers and the Multnomah County Health Officer are advising all community members to get ready. Check on your neighbors: Please knock on the door, make the call, let people know if you’re going to the store and ask how you might help.
Care for When It’s Cold: Up-to-date information from Multnomah County on shelters, safety and support.
211info.org: Up-to-date info on weather conditions, available resources, where to find the nearest available shelter and transportation options. You can also find out where you can donate winter weather items to those who need them. Sign up for Severe
Winter Weather alerts via email or text by going to 211info’s sign-up page.
National Weather Service: Check weather warnings in the Portland Metro area.
Public Alerts: Sign up to get emergency alerts about safety concerns in your area.
TriMet Alerts: Check for winter weather advisories.
ODOT TripCheck: The Oregon Department of Transportation TripCheck site updates Oregon road conditions and streams live roadside video.