SAN ANTONIO — The first cold snap is here in San Antonio with the official start of winter now being 10 days away.
A freeze warning has been issued for parts of our area and Thursday is expected to be another cold morning.
San Antonio is keeping community buildings open and partnering with non-profits to help anyone without shelter stay warm. In downtown, the Corazon Day Center will be running from 7 a.m. until to 7 p.m.
The Homeless Connections Hotline is also available from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. You can give them a call at (210) 207-1799.
They'll provide info for where you can stay and connect anyone to street outreach for transportation and emergency blankets.
For anyone at home, multiple organizations in San Antonio want you to remember the 4 P's. People. Pets. Plants. And pipes.
The San Antonio Fire Department says to make space for your furnace, fireplace, or space heater.
Don't use your oven to heat your home. Install carbon monoxide alarms in your house.
For pets, bring them inside or give them a space to not be left out in the open.
Its okay to give them more food for the winter and clean water should always be provided.
Same thing for plants. Bring them inside or find a way to cover them.
The last "P" is for pipes.
You can protect them with foam, tape, or rags and put them on pipes in your garage, shed, and other unheated areas.
In extreme cases, turn off the irrigation system, cover your in-ground valves, and make sure you know where your meter cutoff valve is at. If pipes freeze, SAWS has a video on how to turn off water at the meter: https://youtu.be/BYp_9JZQb3A (English)
We want to remind you that the city does have an interactive map online if you want to check the location and hours of the closest places to stay warm. For a map of places to stay warm, visit SA.gov/ColdWeather.