As cold snap chills Santa Cruz, county urges homeless into temporary shelters

With temperatures set to drop into the 30s in some parts of the region this weekend, Santa Cruz County is opening temporary cold weather shelters for unhoused residents. 

The National Weather Service said the cold snap is set to run Friday night through Tuesday, with the coldest period and light rain starting Saturday. Temperatures are expected to hover in the 40s and 50s in Santa Cruz but drop as low as 35 degrees in Watsonville – possibly below 30 with wind chill early Monday. 

Coastal areas will remain in the mid to upper 30s thanks to ocean warmth, the weather service said. However, beaches could see another round of surf swells Friday and Saturday, with wind gusts of up to 30 mph and waves as high as 15 to 20 feet.

In Santa Cruz, a homeless shelter at Depot Park at 119 Center St. will be open from Friday night through Tuesday morning. A second shelter at the Veterans Memorial Building at 846 Front St. will open Sunday night through Tuesday morning. 

In Watsonville, the county will open a shelter at the Veterans Memorial Building at 215 East Beach St. from Friday night through Tuesday morning.

The shelters will be open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. with lineups starting at 7 p.m. Beds will be on a first-come, first-served basis, but the county said it is giving priority to people with disabilities and those who face significant health and safety risks from sleeping outdoors.

Officials said those who can’t find shelter should sleep in tents or cars and use multiple layers of clothing, sleeping bags and blankets.

The shelters are a collaboration between the county and the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville and will be run by The Free Guide.

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