Results
City of St. Louis Mayor's Office
12/31/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/31/2025 10:54
City of St. Louis Announces Emergency Shelter Activation Levels to Improve Predictability
Today, the City of St. Louis announced a new set of emergency shelter activation levels, based on weather conditions, to increase predictability for those in need of shelter as well as the City and shelter providers.
These activation levels, developed as part of the Winter 2025-26 Code Blue Plan in accordance with and as required by Executive Order 93, are designed to ensure a timely and scalable response to severe cold-weather conditions, prioritizing the safety of vulnerable populations. The plan was developed in collaboration with the Department of Human Services and St. Louis shelter providers.
"The Department of Human Services and our community partners have done an outstanding job scaling up emergency shelter to levels previously unheard of, providing a safe place to stay for unhoused St. Louisans and those whose homes can't be kept warm because of tornado damage," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "While providing shelter for hundreds, these teams have also been at work developing a plan for sustainably and predictably activating St. Louis shelters for the rest of the winter. I am proud of and thankful for these efforts that create a strong framework for how we care for the most vulnerable in our society on the coldest days of the year."
The activation levels provide a structure for how the City and its partners may adjust winter operations in response to changing weather conditions. Each level includes minimum threshold conditions that help guide decisions about readiness and response. However, the City may activate at a higher level when conditions warrant, including circumstances such as expected precipitation, prolonged cold, limited shelter capacity or other emerging risks.
Below, the Code Blue activation levels and process are outlined. The full Winter 2025-26 Code Blue Plan is available on the City website.
Code Blue Activation Levels| Activation Level | Conditions | Operational Focus | Resources Activated |
|
Level 1 - Steady State Activation (Standard Winter Operations) |
• December 1 - March 1 |
• Routine winter weather monitoring and situational awareness maintained • Preparations are maintained for a potential activation |
• WWUC: Inactive • Baseline Beds: 400 • Surge Beds: 60 or more on standby • Transportation: Inactive • Warming Centers: Inactive |
|
Level 2 - Limited Activation (Low Risk Code Blue) |
• Temperatures below 32°F; or • Wind chill below 25°F |
• Increased winter weather monitoring and situational awareness maintained • Enhanced public messaging • Increased community outreach and engagement efforts engaged |
• WWUC: Partial activation • Baseline Beds: 400 • Surge Beds: 150 activated • Transportation: Inactive • Warming Centers: Select locations activated |
|
Level 3 - Partial Activation (Moderate Risk Code Blue) |
• Temperatures at or below 25°F; or • Wind chill below 10°F |
• All focus areas included in Level 2 • Citywide Code Blue messaging deployed • Fully engaged community outreach and engagement efforts in place. |
• WWUC: Partial activation • Baseline Beds: 400 • Surge Beds: up to 450 activated based on need • Rally Points: Locations activated across the City • Transportation: rally points activated as needed to support demand, timed transportation circuits activated, warming buses deployed strategically • Warming Centers: Additional locations activated across the City |
|
Level 4 - Full Activation (High Risk Code Blue) |
• Temperatures 10°F or below; or • Wind chill below -10°F |
• All areas covered in Level 3 • Unified incident management across City departments • Mandatory hourly reporting • Fully engaged community outreach and engagement efforts in place |
• WWUC: Full activation • Baseline Beds: 400 • Surge Beds: 600 activated • Rally Points: All locations activated • Transportation: all rally points activated, full transport fleet deployed, warming buses at priority sites • Warming Centers: All locations activated |
For Levels 2-4, weather conditions anticipated for 2 or more hours.
City of St. Louis Mayor's Office published this content on December 31, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on December 31, 2025 at 16:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]