Whitmire said the city is doing everything possible to make things safe, including opening 10 warming centers across the area.
A map with the warming locations is posted on the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management website.
The locations include:
- Acres Home Multi-Service Center at 6719 W. Montgomery Rd.
- Northeast Multi-Service Center at 9720 Spaulding St.
- Kashmere Multi-Service Center at 4802 Lockwood Dr.
- Moody Community Center at 3725 Fulton St.
- Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center at 6402 Market St.
- Fonde Community Center at 110 Sabine St.
- Metropolitan Multi-Service Center at 1475 W. Gray St.
- Southwest Multi-Service Center at 6400 High Star Dr.
- Magnolia Multi-Service Center at 7037 Capitol St.
- Sunnyside Multi-Service Center at 4410 Reed Rd.
The city said the centers will open to the public on Sunday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. and will remain open 24 hours a day until midday on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Whitmire said people who arrive with items will be allowed to keep them with them while they are at the warming centers, which will be staffed with health and public safety personnel and equipped with basic necessities.
If someone needs a ride to a warming center, they can call 311 and request a Z-Trip to take them to any open warming center.
City officials will also brief the public again on Sunday as more information about the weather, which Whitmire said they anticipate coming on Sunday night, becomes available.
RELATED: CenterPoint planning on having extra crews on standby ahead of arctic cold front
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One big question Houstonians have is whether the lights will stay on. It's been four years since the 2021 freeze when that wasn't the case. ABC13 asked the mayor how things are looking from that standpoint going into the weekend.
"Our state officials and everyone is obviously preparing, Whitmire said Friday during a press conference for the Chevron Houston Marathon. "In terms of generation, power coming into the city -- that's an ERCOT-related matter. Depends on what day of the week it is-- their reply, but today they are saying they (have) sufficient power."
The mayor, police chief, and marathon staff are all urging the public -- both runners and spectators -- to bundle up and dress in layers.
ERCOT has already issued a Weather Watch for next Monday through Thursday.
READ MORE: ERCOT issues Weather Watch from Jan. 20-23 for next week's arctic cold front
CenterPoint and ERCOT preparing for frigid temps next week in Houston