One more frigid night | Live updates

With temperatures predicted to plunge further, and cold conditions already at dangerous levels, the NYC Department of Social Services has now activated an Enhanced Code Blue.

Anthony Carlo has more.

When the temperature is 32 degrees or lower, including wind chill values, the City follows Code Blue procedures.

An Enhanced Code Blue is activated when at least one of the the following criteria is met:
- Continuous or accumulating precipitation (snowfall of 3 inches or more)
- Ice storms and/or freezing rain
- Temperature or wind chills below -5 F (any amount of time)
- Sustained winds of 40 mph (or higher)
- At the request of New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) or City Hall

Outreach teams are intensifying their efforts to reach and support the most vulnerable New Yorkers amid dangerously cold weather.

"No one who is experiencing homelessness and seeking shelter in New York City will be denied. Should you see an individual experiencing homelessness out in the cold, please call 311 and city staff will be dispatched to offer assistance," NYC DSS said.

During a Code Blue event, homeless people may also stay at any Department of Homeless Services shelter or drop-in center without going through the normal intake process.

At least 12,015 people have sought shelter during extreme cold in New York City.

Marcus Solis reports from the new warming center.

Marcus Solis reports.

New York City is increasing efforts to protect New Yorkers from frigid temperatures.

An extreme cold warning is in effect for the entire Tri-State area from Saturday into midday Sunday, with wind chills ranging from 10 to as much as 30 degrees below zero.

So far, 17 New Yorkers have been found dead outside amid the bitter cold. Some of those deaths were directly linked to hypothermia.

"We want every New Yorker who needs help seeking warmth to be able to find it," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said:

"In order to meet New Yorkers directly where they are, we are making significant additions to our street outreach operation.

"We are enlisting the assistance of school nurses, who have been trained on direct street outreach and will support DHS outreach workers throughout the weekend.

"We are mobilizing the crisis management systems, a network of neighborhood based violence interrupters to help with direct street outreach."

Ten NYC schools will be open throughout the weekend until 8 p.m. Sunday, and 62 warming buses have been deployed throughout the city.

A 106-bed shelter will be available, with an additional shelter opening today.

In addition, two overdose prevention centers will remain open 24 hours, as some outdoor deaths have been associated with intoxication.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced further measures to get people inside for this frigid weekend, enlisting the help of school nurses, business improvement districts and a peer outreach pilot program.

Using the "peer" outreach model, formerly homeless people will serve on teams to help try and bring homeless in from the cold.

The mayor said the city changed its 311 caller prompts after many complaints that the menu to get to the cold blue call was too slow.

Mamdani said their outreach efforts have led to 1,250 placements, doubling the number from Thursday night, and 27 involuntary transports.

Among the additional emergency steps being taken this weekend are the addition of 65 new hotel shelter units, and the operation of 62 warming centers and vehicles.

The city is reopening 10 public schools as warming centers. Two new CUNY warming centers and two overdose prevention centers will be open 24/7 this weekend.

Two more warming facilities with Northwell Health will be open.

The mayor says 17 people have died outside during the prolonged period of extreme cold, including 13 from hypothermia, three from overdose and one that's still to be determined.