Warming Centers Open As Cold Weather Snap Drags On

Updated at 5:25 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 21 with more shelters

The cold weather is here to stay, at least through the weekend. The National Weather Service says high temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s with nighttime lows dipping into the 20s.

Another system late Wednesday and early Thursday and could drop 1 to 2 inches of snow on coastal areas of Washington. Some other areas could see snow flurries, but no accumulations are expected in Seattle.

Staying Warm

With this stretch of cold, many communities have opened warming centers to bring people off the streets at night.

South Snohomish County Emergency Cold Weather Shelter runs one at the Edmonds Senior Center. They open anytime the temperature drops below 34 degrees overnight for at least four hours, according to Program Manager Mark Waldin.

The center can hold up to 50 people, including men, women and families. Over the course of the winter, an army of about 150 volunteers do everything from driving vans to cooking dinners for those in need.

The shelter will stay open through at least Thursday night at the Edmonds Senior Center.

The City of Yelm is opening up its Public Safety Building as a warming center for the rest of the week. It will remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Seattle Human Services department has also opened a warming center for adults at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. It will be open between 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.

In Renton, the old chamber building at 300 Rainier Ave. N will accept anyone between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday. 

The Kent Lutheran Church operates a sever weather shelter for up to 50 people between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. The church is located at 336 2nd Ave. S.