Cold driving homeless inside

The calendar may say Dec. 1, but the bone-chilling temperatures this week are more typical of mid-January. And forecasters predict it won't rise above freezing in the Salt Lake Valley — even in the daytime — until at least Friday.

Nine Utah locations set records for low temperatures Monday, including Salt Lake City International Airport, which reached only 27 degrees. That broke the old record of 28 degrees, set in 1975.

The coldest temperature in Utah on Tuesday was recorded in Woodruff at minus 25 degrees, although that missed the record there by five degrees.

Normal Salt Lake Valley temperatures for this time of year are 42 for a high and 26 for the low.

In Bountiful, a record cold temperature of 12 degrees Tuesday morning burst four major water lines that had to be repaired by the city's water department. The Salt Lake City water department reported just one broken water main from Tuesday's cold.

The frigid temperatures are sending homeless into the shelters to seek warmth. The Road Home was filled to 92 percent of its capacity Monday night.

At the main shelter, 405 people were housed Monday night at the 438-bed facility, leaving officials some wiggle room should demand increase over the next few days.

"It was quite a spike," said Celeste Eggert, the shelter's director of community relations.

"Some of the people who would normally stay out are coming in because of the extra cold," said Pamela Atkinson, with Volunteers of America. "They've covered up everything in their camps and are least staying warm overnight."

Last week, at the facility's overflow shelter in Midvale, an average of 130 men were given a place to sleep, compared with Monday's figure of 180. The numbers of women increased as well, jumping from 11 to 17.

November is the first month the Midvale overflow facility is opened to accommodate the homeless during the cold winter season.

The arrival of the holiday season, when more homeless seek shelter, also prompts more residents to open their wallets and pantries to make donations to the less fortunate.

Aside from increases in cash donations and pallets of food, Eggert said the facility is seeing a marked increase in other items, such as blankets, clothing and toiletries.