As overnight temperatures dip below freezing across the region, the City of Portland has ordered extended morning hours at several emergency overnight shelters from Friday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026—a reminder of how quickly cold snaps can turn deadly for people sleeping outside.

In a city news release published Jan. 22, 2026, Portland said multiple emergency overnight shelters will stay open later in the morning, extending operations until 8 a.m. each day during the cold-weather stretch. The listed sites include:

  • Burnside Shelter (SAFES) — 30 SW 2nd Ave
  • CityTeam Grand — 526 SE Grand Ave
  • Moore Street Shelter — 5325 N. Williams Ave
  • NW Northrup Shelter — 1435 NW Northrup St
  • St. Stephen’s Shelter — 1432 SW 13th Ave

Official notice: https://www.portland.gov/shelter-services/news/2026/1/22/emergency-overnight-shelters-extend-morning-hours-due-forecasted

Portland’s announcement is aimed at the metro area, but the underlying problem is shared up and down the I-5 corridor—including in Cowlitz County: when it’s cold enough to freeze, “going somewhere warm” is not a personal-choice issue; it’s a public survival issue. The difference is that Portland has a centralized system and a single public web presence for emergency shelter operations, while smaller counties often rely on a patchwork of nonprofits, churches, ad hoc programs, and informal information chains that can be hard to navigate in real time.

For Portland-area residents trying to find a bed or warming space, 211info’s Multnomah County severe-weather page is updated frequently and includes an interactive map and alert options. (As of Jan. 22, 2026, 211info’s page noted no emergency severe weather shelters open “tonight,” while directing people to year-round options and to call 2-1-1 for placement and transportation guidance.) https://www.211info.org/multnomah-county-winter-and-severe-weather-resources/

Why this matters locally: Longview and Kelso regularly see overnight lows that can be life-threatening for people without heat, dry gear, or safe indoor space. Even when formal shelters exist, “capacity,” “hours,” “eligibility,” and “transportation” become real barriers—especially for people with disabilities, people working night shifts, couples, and people with pets.

From a civil-liberties perspective, cold-weather response is also a test of whether governments treat unhoused neighbors as community members with rights—or as “problems” to be displaced. When cities extend shelter hours, it reduces the pressure to push people out of indoor spaces at daybreak and decreases the likelihood of police-driven “move along” enforcement during dangerous weather.

What to watch next in Southwest Washington: If a similar cold snap hits Cowlitz County, residents should look for coordinated, time-specific announcements from local providers and public agencies—and push for a single, consistently updated public information hub that lists hours, capacity, accessibility, pet policy, and transportation options in plain language.

Conclusion: Portland’s extended-hours decision (Jan. 23–25) is a small operational change with life-or-death consequences. Cowlitz County officials and service providers should treat it as a baseline: in freezing weather, the humane—and constitutionally consistent—approach is to expand access to warmth and safety, not expand punishment and displacement.

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