Dangerously Cold Weather in Seattle: Emergency Shelters and Safety Information (Updated 12/27)

With snowfall accumulation between 3” and 6” yesterday and freezing temperatures overnight, some city services have been impacted. The National Weather Service expects additional snow accumulation later in the week, and the City of Seattle will face extremely cold temperatures into the new year. The extreme cold temperatures will present a risk of icy conditions.

With significant snow fall accumulation, the City is urging residents and businesses:

• Avoid and postpone road travel whenever possible.
• Salt and shovel sidewalks adjacent to their property to ensure they remain safe and accessible. Not only is it the law; it is the right thing to do.

Emergency Shelters

Click here to access a map of emergency weather shelters and warming centers in Seattle, or go to maps.seattle.gov/eoc/warmingshelters

The City of Seattle, along with providers, have opened six Severe Weather Shelters to serve community members nightly who are experiencing homelessness. These shelters will be open through the new year. Seattle Center Exhibition Hall hosted 107 guests overnight and Compass Housing Alliance in Pioneer Square hosted 81 guests overnight. Providers are expecting these numbers to increase tonight.

• Winter 2021 severe weather night shelters and day warming locations list
• Visit the City’s shelter and warming centers map

Shelters are accessible via Metro, and the City of Seattle and King County Regional Homelessness Authority have partnered on rideshare transportation options. The HOPE Team in addition to first responders (including SPD and SFD) are also transporting individuals to sites.  SPD Community Service Officers and SFD Health One teams are available to provide transportation to shelters and warming centers.

The City of Seattle continues to work with providers and the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to evaluate if additional spaces can be staffed:  

• West Seattle (Operated by American Legion Post 160 and faith-based network volunteers): 16 beds, adults 18+, now open 24/7, 3618 Southwest Alaska St., Seattle, WA 98126, 206-932-9696
• Seattle City Hall (Operated by Urban League): 600 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. Open Monday, December 27 at 7 p.m. as 24/7 shelter, meals provided by OSL. 
• God’s Lil Acre (Operated by Lake City Partners): 12517 33rd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. Opened today as a day center at 9 a.m. and as an overnight shelter from 9 p.m. – 7 a.m. 
• Seattle Mennonite Church (Operated by Lake City Partners). 3120 NE 125th St, Seattle, WA 98125, 206-361-4630. Open tonight December 27, 9:00 pm – 7:00 am. 
• Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (Operated by Salvation Army): 301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109. Enter though main entrance off Mercer Street and go down the stairs. Serves 100+ people, all genders, 18+ years, non-aggressive leashed dogs and cats under owner control allowed. On Sunday, December 26, this shelter served 107 individuals, and will be adding capacity to serve additional individuals tonight.
  • The Armory opens daily at 10 a.m. for day warming.
  • Served directly by Metro Bus routes 3, 4, 5, 8, 16, 28, RapidRide E Line, and nearby routes include: 1, 13, and RapidRide D Line.
• Compass Housing Alliance Shelter in Pioneer Square: 210 Alaskan Way South, Seattle, WA 98104. Enter at the corner of South Washington and Alaskan Way. Serves 80+ people, all genders, 18+ years, service animals only at this location. On Saturday, December 25, this shelter served 28 individuals. Day Center also available at this location.
  • Served by nearby public transit services (1-3 blocks away): Seattle Streetcar, Link Light Rail, routes 21, 29, 55, 56, 57, 101, 102, 111, 113, 114, 120, 121, 115, 150, 162, 177, 190, 212, 214, 216, 217, 218, 550, 554, RapidRide C, ST 590, ST 592, ST 594, ST 595, ST 577, ST 578, PT 410, PT, 415, PT 417, PT 422, PT 424, and Washington State Ferries.

King County Regional Homelessness Authority has worked with cities across the county to open additional emergency shelter. This includes St. Dunstan’s Church serving as Shoreline Emergency Shelter (722 N 145th St., Shoreline, off Aurora), for single adults and couples, 8:30 p.m. – 7:30 a.m.

The City’s HOPE Team, working in coordination with a broad network of outreach partners over the coming days, will conduct outreach to community members about shelter options. Outreach coordination includes helping people connect with transportation shelter locations, which accept people throughout the night until they reach capacity. City staff are working with the YWCA and Mary’s Place to coordinate sheltering of families with children, and youth shelters have existing capacity for guests. Additionally, case management services for high-risk Aging and Disability Services clients are ongoing. 

• People, including youth, in need of shelter should call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-9274 
• Parents or guardians caring for one or more child 18 years or younger can get emergency shelter help by calling the King County Coordinated Family Intake Line at 206-245-1026, 8 a.m. – 11:30 p.m., 365-days a year.  
• The YWCA’s women and family shelter intake line can be reached at 206-461-4882. 

Day Centers and Warming Centers: The City of Seattle has designated a series of facilities as warming centers across the city, which are expected to remain open into 2022. 

Open Currently:

• Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes (Operated by Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle): 600 4th Ave., Seattle, WA 98104. Opened Sunday, December 26 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as needed through January 2, 2022. 5^th Avenue Entry and meals provided by Operation Sack Lunch.
• Seattle Center Armory, 305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109, Campus Map (seattlecenter.com), Opens daily at 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 206-684-7200
• Compass Housing Alliance Day Center (adjacent to night shelter, open as staffing capacity allows), 77 S. Washington St., Seattle, WA 98104, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 206-474-1000
• International District/Chinatown Community Center: 719 8th Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104. Hours vary daily. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.;Tuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (5 p.m. is normal closing)
• Magnuson Park Building #406: 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Printable Park Map. Monday and Tuesday: noon – 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (normally closed).
• Northgate Community Center: 10510 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. Open Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (normally closed) 206-386-4823.
• Rainier Beach Community Center: 8825 Rainier Ave S., Seattle, WA 98118. Hours vary daily Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (normally 6:30 p.m.), Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 206-386-1925

Additional day centers, which are existing programs that are open year-round to support people experiencing homelessness, including during severe weather response, are on the King County Homelessness Authority guide and City’s Hygiene Map which can be filtered to show locations across the city. Anyone in need of day or evening shelter, including youth and families, can call 2-1-1 for intake and referral help.

Emergency shelter spaces will follow COVID-19 safety and screening protocols for guests, including added air filtration, physical distancing, and increased sanitation and hygiene. Providers will also follow public health isolation protocols for any symptomatic guests.

Community members seeking places to come inside during the day are encouraged to utilize public spaces available for all, such as Seattle Public Libraries and the Seattle Center Armory. Day centers (including the one operated by Compass Housing in Pioneer Square), existing programs open and offering support year-round for people experiencing homelessness. Year-round service provider day centers are identified on City’s Hygiene Map, which can be filtered to show day center locations across the city. HSD will continue to share updated lists as additional day and center or warming locations are identified by agencies involved in emergency response functions.  

• City coordinated warming locations open for severe weather this December:
  • Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes (Operated by Seattle Urban League): 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104. Opens Sunday, December 26 from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm as needed through January 2, 2022.  
  • International District/Chinatown Community Center: 719 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104. Hours vary daily. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 11:00 am- 9:00 pm;Tuesday and Thursday: 10am-7pm; Saturday: 10:00 am-7:00pm (5:00 p.m. in normal closing); Sunday: 10am – 7pm (normally closed).  
  • Magnuson Park Building #406: 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Printable Park Map. Monday and Tuesday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday –10am-7pm (normally closed). 
  • Northgate Community Center: 10510 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125. Open M-F: 9:00 am-7:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am-7:00 pm (normally closed), Sunday 10:00am-7:00 pm (normally closed), 206-386-4823. 
  • Rainier Beach Community Center: 8825 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. Hours vary daily Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 7:00 pm (normally 6:30 p.m.), Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, 206-386-1925 
  • Seattle Center Armory, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109, Campus Map (seattlecenter.com), Opens daily at 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, 206-684-7200 
  • Compass Housing Alliance Day Center (adjacent to night shelter, open as staffing capacity allows), 77 S Washington St, Seattle, WA 98104, Monday to Friday 9;00 am to 4:00 pm, 206-474-1000 

If you are in need of shelter, call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-9274. Parents or guardians caring for one or more child 18 years or younger can get help identifying emergency shelter by calling the Coordinated Family Intake Line at 206-245-1026 between 8am – 11:30pm, 365-days a year. In addition, the YWCA’s women and family shelter intake line can be reached at 206-461-4882. For an emergency, call 9-1-1.

Click here for more information on emergency shelters and outreach efforts for unsheltered people in Seattle.

Winter Safety Information

Extreme cold weather can lead to icy roads, frozen pipes, and power outages. The City of Seattle’s Winter Weather webpage has tips on how to stay safe during extreme cold and snow, as well as links to City resources and updates on response to winter storms.

• Clear snow and ice from sidewalks, walkways, and driveways with a shovel or de-icer. Help everyone stay safe.
• Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. Push the snow instead of lifting it when possible.
• Prevent flooding by using a shovel to safely clear snow and ice from your neighborhood storm drains.
• Never use charcoal grills or portable gas camp stoves indoors. The fumes are deadly.
• Insulate exposed and unheated pipes and remove outdoor hoses to help prevent frozen pipes.
• If you must drive, make sure your car is ready. Carry chains or other traction devices and be prepared to put them on. Make sure windows are clear and the snow is removed from the entire car.
• Dress in layers to stay warm and keep clothing dry. Wear a hat to prevent loss of body heat.
• Never touch, approach or come into contact with anything touching a downed power line. Stay at least 35 feet (11 meters) away from the lines and anything surrounding them. Consider all wires energized and dangerous. Even de-energized lines may become energized at any time. Always assume the wire is live, even if severed.

For more tips and information, visit seattle.gov/winterweather.

Department Response Operations

*UPDATED * Seattle Department of Transportation: Starting Saturday, crews began patrolling and pretreating roads, overpasses, and bridges ahead of Sunday morning’s snowfall. Currently, SDOT has over 35 storm response vehicles operating on 1,200 miles of snow routes and will continue 24/7 operations as needed.

SDOT is reporting that approximately 90% of Emerald and Gold routes are bare and wet.

Top priorities are protecting public safety and clearing critical routes to hospitals and emergency centers, while making sure people have reliable access to transit. The online Storm Response Map shares real-time information on which roads have been recently plowed. The technology transferring information is not functioning on a few snow response vehicles at this time and will not be repaired until the storm has passed, so more routes are being treated than shown. 

Don’t drive if you don’t have to during the snowstorm and after due to likely icy conditions. Today, Monday, December 27, will be treated as a holiday for on-street parking to discourage unnecessary driving during the storm response. It is a free parking day, and time limits will not be enforced unless specifically stated.

SDOT urges community members:

• Clear sidewalks next to your property and lend a helping hand to your neighbors who may not be able.
• If you must drive, please slow down and be careful. Watch out for others and leave plenty of room from snowplows and other vehicles.
• Make sure your car is safe for winter driving and pay attention to road closure signs.
• Be cautious, low temperatures mean icy streets and sidewalks.
• Sled in our parks, not in the street.
• Visit the SDOT Winter Weather webpage or read this blog post for more ideas. Visit MetroWinter.com for King County Metro transit updates.  

Seattle City Light: There has been no major outages, but SCLis prepared with necessary equipment, supplies, chains for trucks, etc., to respond to any outage. Should there be widespread outages, City Light has crews on standby ready to respond and work 24/7 until every single customer is back on. Tips for staying safe in case of an outage: 

• Be prepared for potential power outages with blankets, flashlights and batteries. And don’t forget to charge your devices so you can call if you need assistance. You can also keep an eye on the status of outages via City Light’s online outage map (www.seattle.gov/city-light/outages) and on Twitter or Facebook. 
• If you see a downed power line, stay at least 30 feet away and call 9-1-1. 
• Avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning by never bringing generators, camp stoves or barbeques indoors.

Seattle Preschool Program (SPP): Parents are encouraged to follow their preschool provider’s inclement weather policy. Preschool sites operated by Seattle Public Schools (SPS), including full-day programs, SPP, and Head Start should refer to SPS’s adverse weather guidance posted on their website. 

Finance and Administrative Services: Facilities, fleets and logistics teams in the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) are actively engaged and supporting deicing operations at various facilities across the City. FAS teams have emergency generators on standby and ready to access should power disruptions occur. Fleet Management crews are operating 24/7 in support of SDOT’s efforts. Additionally, FAS’ Customer Service Centers remain open per their regular schedules at this time and will close only if conditions require.

*UPDATED* Seattle Public Utilities:  SPU transfer stations are closed today due to unsafe road conditions. There was no residential garbage pickup on Monday, December 27. SPU will be making a determination for Tuesday, December 28 later today. 

If materials are not picked up but the end of the day, customers will be able to set out 2x the normal amount at no extra charge on the following scheduled pickup day.

As a reminder, SPU urges:

• Protect indoor sink pipes that are against exterior walls by opening under-sink cabinet doors to allow indoor heat to circulate. 
• Allow one indoor faucet to slowly drip cold water. Select the faucet that is the farthest from your front door.  
• Protect water pipes from freezing in exposed or unheated areas (attics, basements and garages) by wrapping them with tape and insulating materials.
• Drain and remove all outdoor hoses and cover faucets for hose bibs. 
• Know where your shutoffs are located. If an emergency occurs, you’ll need to know how to shut off electricity, gas and water at main switches and valves.

If you suspect your pipes are frozen, follow these steps:  

• Apply heat to the section of pipe using towels soaked in hot water wrapped around the pipe, an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, or an electric hair dryer. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove or other open flame device. Do not use electrical devices if there is standing water. 
• If a water pipe breaks, immediately close the main shut-off valve to stop flooding. The shut-off valve can be indoors or outdoors, usually in a basement, crawlspace or garage. 
• If you cannot turn off the main shut-off valve, SPU customers can call (206) 386-1800 and a crew will turn off the water at the meter for a service charge.  

Seattle Parks and Recreation: All parks are open. Ballard Pool will be open today from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., and Madison Pool is closed. Crews are on standby to address tree failures, and support city efforts to clear sidewalks. Please check online for details about specific sites and programs. In the event of snow, stay out of heavily wooded areas as trees are more prone to failure when soil is very wet and branches are weighed down with snow. 

*UPDATED* The Seattle Public Library: Due to inclement weather and staffing limitations, The Seattle Public Library will open select library locations on a modified schedule. The following 12 locations will be open today with reduced hours at the times listed below. Some library parking lots have not been cleared and are impacted by snow and ice.

• Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., noon to 6 p.m.
• Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave. S., noon to 6 p.m.
• Broadview Branch, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N., noon to 6 p.m.
• Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E., noon to 6 p.m.
• Columbia Branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S., noon to 6 p.m.
• Douglass-Truth Branch, 2300 E. Yesler Way, noon to 6 p.m.
• Greenwood Branch, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N., noon to 6 p.m.
• High Point Branch, 3411 S.W. Raymond St., 1 to 6 p.m.
• Lake City Branch, 12501 28th Ave. N.E., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• NewHolly Branch, 7058 32nd Ave. S., 1 to 6 p.m.
• Rainier Beach Branch, 9125 Rainier Ave. S., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W., noon to 6 p.m.

14 branch library locations are closed today: Ballard, Delridge, Fremont, Green Lake, International District/Chinatown, Madrona-Sally Goldmark, Magnolia, Montlake, Northeast, Queen Anne, South Park, University, Wallingford and West Seattle. The Northgate Branch is also closed but was not scheduled to be open today.

SPL expects some closures on Tuesday due to staffing and weather conditions. You can check this SPL blog post for ongoing updates while inclement weather is impacting services and hours: www.spl.org/snow.

Seattle Fire Department: The Seattle Fire Department has the following updates: 

• Remember to heat your home safely by keeping flammable items at least one foot from baseboard heaters, and three feet from portable heaters and fireplaces. Generators should never be used indoors. More tips on Fireline. 
• Sidewalks may look clear but could be icy when the cold weather hits. Make sure to wear shoes with good tread, reflective gear at night, and keep hands free from pockets in case you need to break a fall. 
• SFD Health One crews are available to help transport individuals experiencing homelessness to warming centers and overnight shelters. SFD’s Mobile Integrated Health Program Manager is working closely with other entities in the City for other transport options for individuals experiencing homelessness.  

Office of Arts and Culture: Due to inclement weather and the upcoming holidays, ARTS at King Street Station and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute will be closed through Saturday, January 1. Operations will resume on Tuesday, January 4. 

COVID Safety Information

If you are hosting a holiday gathering, think about the steps you need to take to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends:

• Get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can. Find a vaccine.
• Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help protect yourself and others.
• Stay 6 feet apart from others who don’t live with you.
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
• Test to prevent spread to others.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.

For more information about preventing the spread of COVID-19 over the holiday season, visit the CDC’s website.