The city of Gainesville will activate its Cold Night Shelter Program (CNS) as temperatures are projected to drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit on the nights of Thursday through Saturday, March 20-22.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the forecast calls for temperatures to drop to 41 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday night, 39 degrees on Friday night and 40 degrees on Saturday.

The CNS Program goes into effect when overnight low temperatures dip below 45 degrees and normally runs from Nov. 1 through March 31. 

Both GRACE Marketplace (3055 NE 28^th Dr.) and the St. Francis House (413 S. Main St.) provide CNS services to people who need shelter when the temperature drops below 45 degrees.

GRACE primarily serves individual adults while the St. Francis House provides temporary shelter appropriate for families, women and children.