Denver to open additional overnight shelters during upcoming frigid weekend

Two additional overnight shelters are scheduled to open this weekend ahead of a winter storm that is expected to bring freezing overnight temperatures.

The city activated its Cold Weather Shelter plan, opening the ballroom in the former Best Western hotel, 4595 Quebec St., and the Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St., as overnight shelters for Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights.

Both shelters will be open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. all three days.

Individuals in need of shelter should be referred to the city’s “front door” shelter access points (denvergov.org/findshelter), which are also expanding their capacity for the cold weather. If those facilities reach capacity, they will refer people to St. Francis Center, 2323 Curtis St., for transportation between 6 and 9 p.m. each night to the Best Western and the Coliseum.

After 9 p.m., individuals should be referred directly to the Coliseum.

Families in need of shelter should call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366.

In addition to the overnight shelters, city recreation centers and libraries will operate Sunday and Monday as warming centers during normal business hours.

For more information about shelter access, visit denvergov.org/findshelter.

The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment has these tips for residents to stay safe during cold weather:

• Limit time outside. If you need to go outside, wear layers of warm clothing.
• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Only use generators and grills outdoors and away from windows. Never heat a home with a gas stovetop or oven.
• Look for signs of hypothermia and frostbite and seek medical attention immediately.

Frostbite can cause loss of feeling and color around faces, fingers and toes and skin to turn white or grayish-yellow and become firm or waxy.

Hypothermia is an unusually low body temperature accompanied by shivering, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech, and drowsiness.