SCRANTON, Pa. -- Because of expected below-freezing temperatures, a "Code Blue" has been put in place for Lackawanna County.
The cold weather has some homeless shelters increasing their hours to help those in need.
Very cold to even dangerously cold wind chills are expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Friday morning.
As the temperature continues to drop, some people bundled up to stay warm. For Scranton's homeless, finding some place to stay was just as important.
The bitter cold is expected to continue into the weekend and those with no place to go admit that creates a sense of anxiety.
"There are some people that just might not get a warm place to sleep and get out of this bitter temperature and it scares everybody."
Organizers at Keystone Mission have been collecting food and clothes for the homeless during this cold stretch. The daytime shelter plans to open its doors at 6:30 a.m. rather than the usual 8 a.m.
"The colder it gets, the higher the quantities we go through," said shelter worker John Gleason. "More coffee, socks, and coats."
While some shelters expect to be crowded with colder weather, others are expecting the opposite, saying some homeless choose a warm place to stay instead of food.
The truth of the matter is, a lot of our folks found a place to hang out or a room to share and have already found a room," said Monsignor Joseph Kelly.
Msgr. Kelly says some homeless find it too dangerous to be out in the cold with frigid temperatures.
"Our sidewalks are all clean, but so many of the sidewalks throughout the city are not, and it makes it very difficult to get to the hot meals and in the evening that we serve," said Msgr. Kelly.
For those looking for a place to stay during the cold spell, St. Anthony's on Olive Street will be open, and so will the Community Intervention Center on North Sixth Avenue.
The Cold Blue alert is expected to last through this weekend.