Warming centers open in metro Atlanta ahead of cold blast

ATLANTA - Temperatures are set to plunge across north Georgia this week, prompting Atlanta and DeKalb County to activate warming centers for anyone needing a safe place to escape the cold.

The FOX 5 Storm Team says early Tuesday morning temperatures could fall below freezing before climbing to around 50 by midday. Overnight lows will hover just above freezing, and the rest of the workweek will bring lows ranging from the upper 20s to the mid-30s. Areas farther north and those at higher elevations are expected to run several degrees colder.

Officials say the expected stretch of freezing temperatures is the reason multiple municipalities are opening warming shelters.

City of Atlanta

The City of Atlanta will open two warming centers starting Monday night. Officials say the facilities will operate from 8 p.m. Monday, December 8, through 6 a.m. Tuesday, December 9.

The centers include:

• Central Park Recreation Center, 400 Merritts Ave. NE
• Old Adamsville Recreation Center, 3404 Delmar Lane NW

Transportation will be provided nightly at 8 p.m. from the Gateway Center, with return transportation handled by Fulton County once the activation ends. The city notes that opening times could change based on updated forecasts from the National Weather Service.

DeKalb County

DeKalb County will open its warming centers on Wednesday and Thursday, December 10 and 11, beginning at 6:30 p.m. each night.

The county’s warming center locations include:

• Frontline Response International, 2585 Gresham Rd SE, Atlanta
• St. Vincent de Paul, 2050 C Chamblee Tucker Rd, Chamblee
• Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Dr, Decatur
• Exchange Park Intergenerational Center, 2771 Columbia Dr, Decatur

All transportation routes begin at Frontline Response Headquarters on Gresham Road. Initial pickups are scheduled to be completed by 7:30 p.m., followed by final sweeps from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

DeKalb County also released a detailed transportation schedule, including stops in North DeKalb, Chamblee, Tucker, Brookhaven, Decatur, Emory, Stone Mountain, Candler Road, Memorial Drive, Wesley Chapel and other communities. Pickups run from 6:05 p.m. through the 7 p.m. hour depending on the route.

Frontline Response International is contracted by the county to assist residents during extreme weather. Hot dinners and breakfasts will be available nightly along with beds or cots and case-management services. Transportation from all warming centers to Frontline will be available for anyone seeking those additional services.

Walk-in access begins at noon on activation days at Frontline Headquarters at 2585 Gresham Rd SE in Atlanta. For more information, residents can call the Frontline dispatch line at 404 334 3610 or visit dekalbcountyga.gov/weather.