Greensboro Opens White Flag Warming Centers Through March
The city's cold weather plan runs through March 31 with two overnight warming centers for individuals and families.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Forecasts
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The Greensboro Community Safety Department launched its cold weather plan on November 4, 2026, funding and staffing two designated White Flag overnight warming centers. The plan runs through March 31 as part of the Guilford County Continuum of Care.
Why it matters
The centers give residents a place to get out of the cold during periods of dangerous temperatures, with activation tied to specific temperature and winter weather criteria. Services for individuals and families are offered at separate locations.
The White Flag activation threshold is a feels-like or actual temperature of at least 32 degrees sustained for two or more hours, with separate alerts possible during freezing precipitation or extended below-freezing periods. The source does not report capacity figures or expected activation counts for the season.
The players
Greensboro Community Safety Department
The city department that launched the cold weather plan and provides crisis intervention and long-term case management services to residents.
Guilford County Continuum of Care
The regional homeless services coordinating body under which the Greensboro warming centers operate.
The details
The Interactive Resource Center at 407 E. Washington St. serves individuals, while the Glenwood Recreation Center at 2010 Coliseum Blvd. serves families. The Interactive Resource Center also opens a weekend warming center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday starting November 7, 2026.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Community Safety Department launches the cold weather plan.
November 7, 2026: Weekend warming center begins operating at the Interactive Resource Center.
March 31, 2027: Cold weather plan and warming centers end.
Seasonal Patterns
The White Flag activation criteria are built around a 32-degree threshold sustained for two or more hours, the same freezing benchmark used to define hard-freeze conditions in the National Weather Service's winter advisories. The plan's March 31 end date reflects the seasonal window in which these overnight cold events typically occur in the Triad.
Residents who need shelter during dangerous cold can seek a White Flag warming center at 407 E. Washington St. for individuals or 2010 Coliseum Blvd. for families when temperatures reach the activation threshold. The weekend warming center at the Interactive Resource Center is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays starting November 7.
The takeaway
Watch for the 32-degree threshold sustained over two hours as the signal that White Flag centers will open. Check the Community Safety Department page for activation notices during winter weather events.
What happens next
The cold weather plan and warming centers end on March 31, 2027, at which point the White Flag activation criteria will no longer apply until a future season.
Further reading
For context on how the city tracks winter conditions, see the Forecasts section.
More information
Find details on the city's cold weather response on the Greensboro Community Safety Department information page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WXLV.
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