With wind chills plummeting temperatures to a shiver-inducing freeze, both New York City and Newark have initiated a "code blue" to protect their homeless populations from the biting cold. The National Weather Service anticipates "real-feel" temperatures to dip around the freezing mark, compelling city officials to take immediate action for the well-being of their most exposed residents, Gothamist reported. The code blue in New York City, activated as a response to overnight temperatures or wind chills expected to drop to 32 degrees or below, began at 4 p.m. today and will extend until 8 a.m. tomorrow.
During this critical window, outreach workers are combing the streets, offering access to shelters, their efforts made even more urgent as temperatures are expected to rebound only mildly into the 50s come tomorrow, with chances of light rain into the night, New York City Emergency Management told Gothamist. The swift drop in temperature, hitting below the 32-degree threshold, has similarly triggered Newark to declare a code blue from 8 p.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday, as PIX11 detailed.
Residents in both cities are urged to keep an eye out for those who are homeless and in need of assistance during these chilling times, with New Yorkers instructed to contact 311 and Newark residents advised to text "Path Home" to 855-11 facilitating outreach teams to locate individuals in need of shelter—the information mentioned, vital for those who are outdoors as a freeze warning has been declared across the region, the wind chill dropping between 25 and 35 degrees as reported by PIX11.
While the temperatures should climb back into more tolerable 50s by mid-week, the night's grip is expected to remain frosty with forecasts indicating the possibility of overnight temperatures lingering in the 30s, an unwelcome cold snap that these code blue initiatives are striving to mitigate, according to insights from meteorologist Bryan Ramsey, who mentioned, light rain is also a strong possibility through tomorrow night with wind gusts that could ravage up to 32 mph, all this while outreach workers are fighting the brunt of the cold to bring warmth to those in jeopardy on the streets as per information provided by both Gothamist and PIX11.
NYCEM in coordination with the National Weather Service has issued a Cold Weather Alert. @NYCDHS will declare a Code Blue effective 4PM today until 8AM. Outreach teams will canvass all five boroughs to connect our most vulnerable New Yorkers to shelters. No one who is homeless…
— NYC Emergency Management (@nycemergencymgt) November 14, 2025
