Greensboro Opens Two White Flag Warming Centers as Freezing Temperatures Hit

Facing forecasted freezing temperatures, Greensboro activated two White Flag warming centers to give people a heated place to stay overnight. First Baptist Church at 1000 W. Friendly Ave. and Glenwood Recreation Center at 2010 Coliseum Blvd. operated with staff and transit support during overnight hours to keep single adults, women and families out of the cold.

The city posted: “The City of Greensboro is opening two White Flag Warming Centers tonight, Tuesday, January 27 from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. Wednesday, January 28.” Both sites were scheduled to run nightly from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. while staff from the Interactive Resource Center (IRC) and the city’s Community Safety Department handled intake and on-site support. Greensboro Transit Agency (GTA) provided shuttle service between First Baptist and Glenwood from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and GTA with support from the Greensboro Police Department transported people from the centers to the IRC for daytime warming on the following mornings.

Agency partners framed the activation as part of an organized emergency response. “The IRC will serve as the coordinating agency for the White Flag Emergency Response and the arrival point for people needing to go to a warming center on dangerously cold nights,” the YWCA’s shelter page states. The YWCA page also details other warming resources in the system: YWCA Greensboro maintains a 40-chair warming center for men, women and families with children; Greensboro Urban Ministry operates a 20-chair warming center in the Weaver House lobby; and the IRC keeps a 40-chair space for people with restrictions on where they can reside.

Under the City of Greensboro Winter Emergency Response Plan, partners declare a White Flag emergency when wind chill values reach 25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for two hours or more. “White flag specifically means that additional emergency warming centers will be opened that follow relaxed rules so people can get in out of the cold overnight. A warming center is a large heated space with chairs rather than beds that allows people to sit indoors out of the cold. It does not typically provide shelter beds,” the YWCA page explains.

Local messaging on which nights to activate varied across communications; city social media provided the clearest immediate notice for residents. Capacity in chair-based warming spaces is limited, and operations do not mirror full shelter services, so availability is constrained when demand rises.

The activation underscores ongoing gaps in affordable housing and the role of partner agencies in emergency response. For residents, the immediate implication is practical: the centers and scheduled GTA shuttles provided a temporary, heated option overnight, while the IRC served as a daytime hub. Going forward, expect White Flag activations when wind chills hit the trigger threshold, and watch city communications for precise dates, pick-up locations and any updates to capacity or COVID-era policies.