OGDEN -- The National Weather Service says Monday's warm and sunny weather was the last of that sort of thing for the foreseeable future, which means it is also time for the homeless shelters to gear up for heavier use.
"We're basically going into a storm system pushing a cold front into the area," said NWS meteorologist Linda Cheng.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the front was "just kind of hanging around" across the central and southwest part of the state, bringing precipitation to areas south of Salt Lake City.
The Top of Utah, she said, was significantly colder Tuesday than Monday, with a high of about 55. A new front is expected to move through today, "so it's going to get even colder," with highs in the high 40s and lows near freezing.
Even after this storm passes, she said, summer weather is probably gone for good.
"After the storm passes, we warm up a bit but because the air masses don't mix very well, it's not going to get very warm," she said. She anticipates highs in the upper 50s and low 60s. "So we're done for the foreseeable future."
St. Anne's Shelter spokesman Graham Lovelady said the shelter was at 75 percent capacity as of Tuesday, but he knows colder weather will drive transients and homeless people in from campgrounds and other places.
To prepare, the center is enlarging its overflow capacity. When its dormitories for single men and women are full, it will sleep them on the lobby floor. In very cold weather, Lovelady said, the shelter will also suspend its policy of denying admission to people who may be drunk or on drugs.
Normally people are tested with a Breathalyzer, but he said the shelter doesn't want anyone freezing to death.
This year, for the first time, the shelter has room for more families if need be.
St. Anne's has seen an increase in families seeking emergency shelter, so earlier this year the Salvation Army made its former drug rehabilitation rooms available to St. Anne's.
That has room for seven families under normal circumstances, and Lovelady said another four or five can be squeezed in if need be.
Lovelady said the shelter is also seeing increased demand for warm clothing, especially boots, socks, coats and blankets. Because of the increase in families, he said, it also needs warm clothing for children of all ages.
"And we can always use warm blankets," he said.
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