Emergency cold weather plan

URGENT: EMERGENCY COLD WEATHER SHELTERS TO OPEN FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Freezing temperatures are expected Friday, Saturday and possibly Sunday nights throughout Central Florida. Gusty winds are also forecast, meaning the windchill factor will make temperatures feel like they're in the 20s. Please know all local homeless shelters will open their doors beyond normal capacity.

Here are the details by county:

In ORANGE, the Coalition for the Homeless (18 N. Terry Ave., Orlando), Orlando Union Outreach Mission men's facility (3300 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando) and The Salvation Army (624 Lexington Ave., Orlando) are all opening beyond normal capacity starting at 3 p.m. Friday and continuing into Monday. Monday night will depend on the forecast.

In addition, Orange County is opening two "warming centers" -- facilities where people can go to get out of the cold, but there may not be cots available. LYNX will bus people from the warming centers to the Christian Service Center in Parramore for a hot lunch each day. The centers, at Barnett Park (4801 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando, 32808) and Goldenrod Park (4863 N Goldenrod Rd., Winter Park, 32792) are intended to be overflow facilities once the shelters are full, but they will also open at 3 p.m. Friday.

The warming centers are pet-friendly, although pets should be in carriers or crates.

LYNX will operate free bus service via regular routes to the shelters and warming centers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, although service on Christmas Day may be limited. They will also allow pets if they are in carriers.

SEMINOLE will open the Rescue Outreach Mission (1701 W. 13th St., Sanford, 32771) beyond normal capacity.

In OSCEOLA, the county is opening a cold weather shelter at First United Methodist Church in St. Cloud, 1000 Ohio Ave. The church will open its doors Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

As in Orange, people in Seminole and Osceola who need transportation to the shelters can get a free ride on LYNX via normal routes. They should tell the driver they’re going to a shelter.