With the freezing temperatures forecast for days ahead, the City of Denver is opening its warming shelters.

Denver is opening the McNichols Civic Center Building, at 144 W. Colfax Ave. as a 24/7 warming shelter until Wednesday morning, Feb. 1, according to a City and County of Denver tweet Saturday.

Libraries and Recreation Centers will also act as warming centers during regular business hours until Wednesday, the according to the tweet.

Families experiencing homelessness and in need of a safe, warm place to stay are encouraged to call 303-356-3377 for additional sheltering options.

The coming week is forecast to bring below-zero temperatures and snow to the Denver area, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday night’s low is forecast to be 5 degrees, followed by a -2 degree low forecast for Sunday night. Snowfall is in the forecast for the coming days as well.

The city urges people seeking shelter to access “front door” shelters, where they can be referred to other shelters as appropriate, according to the City and County of Denver’s website.

These shelters are located at:

• For individual men: Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
• For individual women: Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St. Open 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. daily.
• For families with minor children (waiting list intake only at this time): The Gathering Place, 1535 N. High St. Open 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; Volunteers of America Mission, 2877 Lawrence St. Open 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; Phone intake and eligibility at 303-356-3377. Open 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. every night of the week.
• For youth ages 15 to 20: Urban Peak, 2100 Stout St. Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
• For those experiencing domestic violence: SafeHouse Denver, 1649 N. Downing St. 
• Service animals and pets: Certified service animals are allowed in shelters. Denver Animal Protection offers a Safe Haven Program, which provides 2 to 4 weeks of shelter for pets of homeless families and during severe weather events.

Denver opens its warming shelters based on thresholds triggered by wind chill advisories, watches or warnings by the National Weather Service. 

The general threshold for warming shelters is a temperature below 10 degrees or 6 inches or more of snow forecasted.