The City activates a Code Blue when we’re expecting very cold conditions. This includes:
- When there’s precipitation and the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
- When it feels near or below 20 degrees due to wind chill.
During a Code Blue, the City takes special measures to keep people who are homeless safe. These measures include:
- 24-hour outreach to find people who are homeless and transport them to safe indoor spaces.
- Additional shelter beds.
- Allowing homeless people to stay inside emergency housing throughout the day.
Get help during a Code Blue
If you are experiencing homelessness, you can go to a City-funded homeless intake center and get help.
If you see a person who appears to be homeless outdoors during a Code Blue, call the City’s homeless outreach hotline at (215) 232-1984.
Enhanced Code Blue
When a Code Blue declaration lasts three nights in a row or more, the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) increases it to an Enhanced Code Blue.
During an Enhanced Code Blue, OHS, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and our partners open warming centers.
These warming centers are hosted throughout the city by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Free Library, and other sites. They are free and open to the public.
OEM publishes an interactive map so you can search for a nearby warming center.