Shelters Brace for Frigid Blast

D.C., Suburbs Will Be on Alert as Season's Chilliest Air Arrives

With the coldest weather of the season expected to sweep through the Washington region today, several jurisdictions are extending shelter hours and mobilizing workers to try to provide shelter for everyone who needs it.

In the District, "hypothermia vans" will patrol the streets and offer homeless people free rides to shelters. Shelter hours will be extended in Montgomery County; Prince George's County and many of its churches will look out for the homeless and other vulnerable residents; and Arlington County workers will patrol streets to try to ensure that no one is in danger.

Several jurisdictions will have hotlines in place for people to call for help.

Forecasters say the region will be hit by the coldest weather since Jan. 3, when temperatures dipped into the low 30s.

Today "will definitely be the day when it will feel the most cold," said Steve Zubrick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Winds of up to 20 mph, with gusts of possibly 35 mph, will make it feel even chillier, he said.

He said that daytime temperatures are expected to hover in the high 20s, with evening temperatures expected to drop into the low teens. Temperatures are expected to rise slightly, into the low 30s, for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday tomorrow.

At the Franklin School shelter in the District, counselor Henry Pridgen said he expected that many of the men who spend their days in a park across the street will head inside for dinner and a place to sleep. He said vans will pick up other homeless people.

"They pick people up, and if there's not enough room here, we send them to some other place," Pridgen said.

"When the temperature drops to levels that threaten the health and well-being of those without shelter, the District must be proactive in ensuring that residents are aware of all of the available services and resources," Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said in a statement.

In Montgomery, "most of our emphasis is on hypothermia shelters," said Alex Wertheim, homeless programs coordinator for the county's Health and Human Services Department. "We provide as much shelter as we can to make sure no one freezes."

Montgomery has about 190 beds for men and 60 spaces for women at the emergency shelters it runs in conjunction with nonprofit groups. The county also has an outreach program in which workers patrol neighborhoods in and around Silver Spring and try to coax those who might be drunk into treatment, because people under the influence of alcohol can be especially at risk of hypothermia.

And in Prince George's, the county's Warm Nights program, in conjunction with about 40 churches, is prepared to shelter anyone in need. Ransom Washington, a spokesman for the county's Department of Social Services, said demand for shelter is expected to hit a seasonal peak this week. Shepherd's Cove, a homeless shelter for women in Prince George's, is also available, said John Erzen, a county spokesman.

In Arlington, outreach workers will patrol the streets looking for people who might need help. The county operates a winter shelter with room for 46 people, in addition to four year-round shelters. Beds are available at a church and the detention center if more space is needed, said Susanne Eisner, director of the county's Department of Human Services.

Fairfax County also increases capacity at homeless shelters during the coldest months.

A recent snapshot of the region's homeless population by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments found that the number of homeless people has decreased slightly. There is still a need for outreach, officials say, and it's important for people to check in on friends and neighbors who might be at risk.

During a cold snap last February, an 81-year-old woman who had mild dementia wandered away from her Silver Spring home and died from exposure.

Staff writer Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.