Temperatures are forecasted to dip below freezing Thursday night, Feb. 19, prompting the warming shelter at Salem First Presbyterian Church to open for the first time this month.

It will likely get as low as 30 degrees tonight, along with widespread frost and a slight chance of rain showers, according to the National Weather Service. 

Salem First Presbyterian Church will open at 7 p.m. Thursday night, and adults over 18 can stay until 7 a.m. the next morning. The church is located at 770 Chemeketa St. N.E.

Salem’s overnight warming shelter system activates when temperatures reach below freezing. There is room for up to 97 people at the church, which provides mats to sleep on.

Dinner will be chicken noodle soup with bread, said Sue Crothers, who coordinates warming for the church. There will also be instant noodle cups, oatmeal and snack bars available.

Guests can bring their pets and belongings. Pets can either stay with them, or there are crates available.

The Salem church last opened for warming in late January.

The Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, which manages local warming shelters, is also opening its family sites in Dallas and Woodburn.

The Dallas shelter is located at St. Thomas Episcopal Church at 1486 S.W. Levens St. and families will be able to sleep in the church.

The ARCHES Woodburn Shelter, at 1560 Hardcastle Ave., will allow adults to sleep overnight inside the shelter, and families can sleep in their vehicles with access to indoor restrooms and refreshments. Learn more about the sites outside of Salem here.

Cherriots will be offering free bus rides to and from the warming shelter. No documentation is needed; riders just need to tell the driver where they’re heading.

The shelter network still needs more volunteers, especially for overnight shifts. To learn more about how to volunteer, see the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency’s website.

Cold weather safety tips

Freezing temperatures can lead to frostbite and hypothermia.

Someone experiencing hypothermia may not know it’s happening. It can impact their ability to think clearly or move. Symptoms include shivering, exhaustion, memory loss and slurred speech, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Call 911 if someone is experiencing severe hypothermia. 

Do not use portable generators, grills or oil burning furnaces indoors as a heating source, which can cause deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. 

See the Oregon Health Authority’s facts page for more cold weather safety tips.

Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.

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Abbey McDonald

Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.