Warming shelters will be open starting tonight as snow is forecast to blanket the area.
The Comox Valley Regional District’s emergency program will open a shelter at St. John the Divine Church on the corner of 5th Street and Harmston Avenue starting at 8 o’clock.
The shelter will stay open until 8 a.m. Wednesday, with service provided by the Emergency Cares Peer Outreach.
The church says it will have space for 25 individuals and offer food, bathrooms and overnight sleeping space in its parish hall.
Other warming centres in the valley include the Connect Warming Centre at 685 Cliffe Ave. Ten beds will be available first-come, first-serve from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Pidcock Shelter will also be open 24 hours on a first-come, first-serve basis at 632 Pidcock Ave.
A winter storm warning is in effect with Environment and Climate Change Canada predicting heavy snowfall and strong winds into Wednesday.
Winds are expected to pick up from the southeast to 50 kilometres per hour gusting to 70 kilometres per hour, with between 15 and 25 centimetres of snow at higher elevations.
Less snow is expected to fall on Wednesday.
They are also warning about poor visibility and difficult driving conditions.
