Here’s Where to Find Shelter as Portland Endures “Arctic Blast”

Snow is expected to begin Saturday morning, with 1 to 2 inches sticking, and the temperature won’t rise above 20 degrees.

Walking in the Central Eastside on Jan. 13, 2024. (Chris Nesseth)
By Aaron Mesh

With a snowstorm barreling down on Portland, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson declared a state of emergency this morning and pledged to open six severe weather shelters tonight as temperatures dip into the teens.

The most recent forecast from the National Weather Service shows an “arctic blast” of frigid air moving into Portland this afternoon. Overnight lows could be 14 degrees, with wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour. Snow is expected to begin Saturday morning, with 1 to 2 inches sticking, and the temperature won’t rise above 20 degrees.

The six shelters, with 445 beds among them, will open at 8 pm Friday and remain open through at least Sunday morning. (They will be operated by the county and four nonprofit contractors.) The emergency declaration means regional transit agency TriMet can’t turn anyone away from a bus or train if they’re riding to a shelter.

Here’s where to find warmth:

Update, Saturday, Jan. 13: County officials say one person died Saturday in Portland from what is suspected to be hypothermia. No additional details were provided.

Multnomah County also announced the opening of four additional shelters starting at 8 pm Saturday.

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