Extreme Weather Response

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Caring for our city’s most vulnerable becomes especially critical in extreme weather conditions. Updates will be posted here when the extreme weather response is activated.

Extreme Weather Response Deactivated

The City of Edmonton has deactivated its extreme weather response for cold.

The City is committed to making sure that everyone has access to safe, warm spaces this winter. By collaborating with partners, the City is doing everything it can to ensure that no one is left without the help they need during the harsh winter months.

From providing overnight winter shelter shuttles to help you get to emergency shelters, and accessing City Recreation facilities and libraries to keep you warm, we're here to help keep you safe through the cold winter.

Extreme Cold Weather Response

The City is ready to activate an extreme weather response once forecasts indicate conditions of -20 degrees Celsius with wind chill for a minimum of 3 days in a row, typically accompanied by an Environment Canada alert for extreme cold.

The extreme weather response implements City Policy C620 to ensure a coordinated and urgent response to protect vulnerable Edmontonians from life-threatening winter conditions.

vulnerable person walking in cold snow

Emergency Shelters

The City of Edmonton is a part of a broader, sector-wide response ensuring the safety of our community - including vulnerable Edmontonians - during the harsh winter months. While shelter provision and healthcare are the responsibility of the Government of Alberta, the City works closely with the Province and community partners to fill in gaps and address immediate needs. Primarily this includes providing expanded transportation options to help individuals access shelter and support services.

With winter’s extreme cold, anyone sheltering outside is in an urgent situation. Shelters remain the safest option for protection from life-threatening risks such as frostbite, hypothermia, and even death. There are emergency shelter spaces available in Edmonton for a diverse range of people.

Find An Emergency Shelter

Winter Shelter Shuttle Service

An overnight transportation service will operate all winter regardless of temperature. The service is intended to support Edmontonians needing transportation to emergency shelters.

There will be 2 routes operating: November 1, 2024-March 31, 2025 from 10pm-6am:

North route starts from Northgate Transit Centre to downtown
South route starts from Southgate Transit Centre to downtown

Note: From 12:45am-3:30am, the North and South winter shelter shuttles will focus on transporting people from Transit stations to shelters based on need and are not on a set route.

Support staff will be on each bus offering help to passengers needing access to available shelters and for referrals to other services.

Extreme Cold Weather Response Activation

During an extreme weather response, the following measures will be activated:

A third bus will be added to the overnight Winter Shelter Shuttle service starting from Kingsway Transit Centre to downtown (west route) to ensure additional capacity is available for transporting people to available shelters.
Open City facilities and libraries will be available to anyone needing respite from the extreme cold (Edmonton Transit Service’s transit centres and LRT stations are not safe or appropriate for sheltering).
Al Rashid Mosque will once again open an overnight shelter that will provide up to 50 spaces, funded by the City as a part of its extreme weather response.
The Winter Resource Cards carried by frontline City staff, offer essential information on shelter locations and emergency services.

During Cold Temperatures

Learn to recognize the signs of hypothermia:

Uncontrollable shivering
Drowsiness or exhaustion
Confusion
Fumbling hands
Memory loss
Slurred speech

Note: A person with severe hypothermia may be unconscious and may not seem to have a pulse or to be breathing.

How You Can Help

Call 911 for someone in serious distress or in cases of emergency

If you see someone sheltering outside, it’s not just about the cold - it’s about saving a life.

Call 211 and press 3 for the 24/7 Crisis Diversion team, if you see someone who:

Is sheltering outside
Does not have clothing to protect them from the weather
Feels unsafe, but no threat of violence is present
Is intoxicated or otherwise impaired
Is confused, disoriented or may be experiencing mental health concerns
Sleeping in a lobby or an unsafe place

This 24/7 service can help connect vulnerable individuals to safe transportation, shelter and the support they need. By making that call, you could be protecting someone from harm and potentially saving a life.

City Facilities

Libraries

Any Edmonton Public Library: Find your location

Other City Facilities

The Orange Hub

Sector Emergency Response

The City actively participates in the Sector Emergency Response, a collaboration between the City, Homeward Trust and more than 25 system and partner agencies working together to keep our vulnerable citizens safe and warm every night.

The City and partners determine when it’s appropriate to activate the City’s extreme weather response considering weather conditions and existing capacity within community spaces for people experiencing homelessness to safely shelter.

Contact Us

311 Contact Centre

Online	Contact 311 Online

If you are calling from outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311

Phone	311
TTY	711