Friday’s snowy forecast leads to overnight shelter activation

With snow arriving late Friday afternoon and tapering off at night, the city will be opening overnight shelters.

Shelter space at New Directions, the former Best Western hotel, at 4595 Quebec St., and the former Doubletree Hotel at 4040 Quebec St. will be activated and provide overnight accommodations from 7 p.m. Friday night on Dec. 8 to 7 a.m. Saturday morning on Dec. 9.

According to the National Weather Service, snow showers will likely begin after 4 p.m. Friday and temperatures will hit a high of 41 degrees. At night, before 11 p.m., more snow will fall and temperatures will drop to around 20 degrees. Accumulation may be around an inch.

Those needing a place to stay should first go to the city's "front door" shelter facilities. Those include Lawrence Street Community Center at 2222 Lawrence St. for individual men, Samaritan House at 2301 Lawrence St. for individual women and Urban Peak at 2100 Stout St. for youth ages 15 through 20.

Once those facilities reach capacity, the city will start referring people to the St. Francis Center at 2323 Curtis St., where buses will transport people to New Directions and the Doubletree. Those buses will operate between 6:30 and 9 p.m.

After 9 p.m., people will be referred directly to the Doubletree.

The city adds that families in need of shelter should call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366.

For more information, visit denvergov.org/findshelter.