Five warming shelters will open to the homeless and others seeking respite from sub-zero temperatures expected in the Colorado Springs area through the end of the week, city officials said Wednesday.

Colorado Springs prepares for arctic blast; officials offer tips on staying safe in extreme cold

Representatives with law enforcement, first responder, utility provider and community organizations gathered at the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management to discuss emergency response plans ahead of one of the most extreme cold snaps in several decades, which could bring wind chill values as low as 40 degrees below zero beginning Wednesday night.

Jim Reid, director of the emergency management office, said he wanted to emphasize how rare this type of cold is and warn the community to take it seriously. According to the National Weather Service, frostbite can set in as quickly as 10 minutes as lows approach -50.

“It’s nothing that we deal with on a continual basis that people are used to,” Reid said. “Is it dangerous? Absolutely.”

Reid said warming shelters are open to serve the homeless as well as traveling families and individuals or anyone who loses power in the event of an outage. “It’s going to be a tough two days, but the biggest thing is we don’t want to lose anybody,” Reid said.

Springs Rescue Mission will activate its winter service protocol Wednesday evening, chief development officer Travis Williams told The Gazette Tuesday. The mission, which typically can house up to 450 people, has expanded its capacity to accommodate larger numbers, the city’s homelessness prevention and response coordinator Crystal Karr said.

“Our homeless outreach teams, through nonprofits as well as the fire department, have been going out this week trying to reach people who are unhoused and living in encampments and vehicles trying to let them know that this cold weather is coming and that it’s very different from normal,” Karr said.

Karr said the mission will accept anybody except those with “severe medical needs” or who have previously displayed “physical aggression” at the shelter.

The Salvation Army, which can hold over 230 people, will open its R.J. Montgomery Center for families seeking shelter.

Additionally, the American Red Cross is set to open two shelters in the Old Colorado City area and in Monument. The shelters will begin serving people at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and will stay open through breakfast on Saturday, Disaster Program Manager Cori Tanner said.

The Springs Rescue Mission and American Red Cross locations also accept animals and will have a special housing area for them, Tanner said. Karr said a fifth shelter specifically serving homeless youth will be operated by The Place.

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