Ahead of winter storm, SafeHouse warming station opens for homeless

As an approaching storm threatens the Valley with ice, snow and brutally cold temperatures, the SafeHouse ministry has opened a warming shelter at its 2101 Hamilton Road location at Rose Hill Methodist Church.

The shelter, which turns nobody away and asks no questions of those it takes in, will be open Tuesday, Jan. 16 from 7 a.m. until Friday, Jan. 19 at 2:30 p.m.

“Please pray for the homeless and those with no heat during this weather emergency. Please help get the word out!,” the ministry wrote on Facebook.

The shelter could always use donations of some basic supplies like coffee, sugar, creamer toilet paper and eggs.

The National Weather Service has been tracking an icy cold front moving across the Southeast. Most severe weather predictions focused on the northern parts of the state, but now the NWS anticipates severe weather across central Alabama and even as far south as Mobile.

Auburn, Opelika, Eufaula and Columbus/Phenix City have a 70 percent chance of snow Tuesday night and will be under a hard freeze watch until at least Thursday morning. Total snowfalls could be between an 1-1.5 inches in most areas, forecasters say. Around the Valley, it could be less than an inch.

Temperatures, though in the sunny 50s for part of today, will drop into the 20s and teens tonight, and with a wind chill advisory in effect, could drop into the single digits.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency Monday evening after the majority of the state was put under a winter weather advisory by the National Weather Service.

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Ahead of winter storm, SafeHouse warming station opens for homeless."