Santa Clara County opens warming centers as low temperatures roll across the South Bay

Cold temperatures expected across the Bay Area

Twelve county libraries and San Jose city libraries will be open during their regular business hours for people to warm up.

SAN JOSE, CA - Low temperatures and rain expected throughout the week have prompted Santa Clara County to make warming centers available to the public. Twelve county libraries and San Jose city libraries will be open during their regular business hours for people to warm up.

"It’s bad out here, the rain. I came out here to California three years ago, and it’s never rained like it’s raining now," said Terrance Thomas, of San Jose.

Santa Clara Valley including Cupertino, Gilroy, San Jose, and Milpitas are expected to be most affected by cold weather over the next three days. Overnight temperatures are forecasted to dip into the mid to high 30s. One San Jose man says it’s so cold and rainy that he’s now putting a coat on his dog.

"Well, my dog is a pampered indoor dog. He doesn’t like to be out in the cold any more than we do. So, when he sees that it’s raining outside, he’s more than happy to put on a coat or sweater," said Andre Bernal, of San Jose.

County libraries, and City of San Jose libraries and community centers will be acting as warming centers across Santa Clara County for at least the next three days. They’ll be open to the public during their normal business hours.

"If they need a break from the storm, from the weather. We have a lot of our usual services going on," said Saralyn Otter, Community Librarian at Saratoga Library.

The County recommends people stay out of the cold weather as much as possible, change out of wet clothing to prevent hypothermia and wear warm clothing in layers to shield against low temperatures. County officials say opening public facilities to help people stay out of the cold may also lower the risk of cold-related illnesses.

"Not everyone has heating necessarily. We all have different situations. It’s really nice to have a place to go," said Otter. "Last year we had storms, and a lot of people had their electricity out, but our electricity stayed on luckily. So, everyone was able to come here, charge their devices, stay warm, use the Wi-Fi, and to be able to carry on with their lives."

County officials also recommend that people stay hydrated and not to use alcohol or other substances to try and stay warm. People should go to a warming center and seek shelter inside until it warms up.