- February 6, 2026
Volusia and Flagler Counties’ cold weather shelters were in use over the last weekend, as temperatures dropped into the low 20s on Feb. 1.
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature dropped below freezing overnight from Jan. 31 into the early morning hours of Feb. 1. In Daytona Beach at 6:53 a.m., the lowest temperature was recorded as 23 degrees, with a wind chill of 13 degrees. In Palm Coast, temperatures dropped down to 22 degrees by 7:35 a.m. on Feb. 1, with a similar wind chill.
And through the freezing temperatures have past, cold weather shelters will be operational in both counties for at least one more night, as temperatures are predicted to hit the 30s overnight from Thursday, Feb. 5 into Friday, Feb. 6, according to the National Weather Service.
In Volusia County, cold weather shelters have been open on and off since Jan. 18. Neither Volusia County nor Flagler County have county-operated cold weather shelters like they do for emergency shelters in the case of hurricane evacuations.
Instead, Volusia County PIO Clayton Jackson said, Volusia County operates in conjunction with local community organizations and churches when temperatures dip below 40 degrees. Jackson said his job is to publicize the information to reach as many people as possible.
“This is all about collaboration,” Jackson said. “There's a big consortium of us. They're all in these email threads, making phone calls all that. It's been very, very, very beneficial.”
Jackson said typically, the lowest temperatures during these cold fronts will hit overnight. But the lowest temperatures during last weekend’s freeze were instead hitting in the early morning hours, right as the cold weather shelters were closing down.
For the first time in at least several years, Jackson said, the county opted to open several regional library locations — including the Daytona Beach Regional Library — earlier to accommodate people who might need shelter from the cold after the shelters close at 8 a.m.
“Because the weather was still blistering cold when those shelters are going to be closing, we try, we just try to step in and say, Hey, we're offering a warm place to go If you still need to,” Jackson said.
In an effort to support some of the most vulnerable community members, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said on a Jan. 31 Facebook post that Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies were sent out to check the known locations of camps to see if anyone needed helping finding shelter from the cold.
In an update the following day, Chitwood wrote that the few individuals found in the camps were offered transportation to a shelter.
“Most camps were reported to be empty or very sparsely occupied,” Chitwood said on a Feb. 1 Facebook. “It appeared most of the individuals had already heeded the warnings and responded to a designated shelter.”
Deputies continued to check in on the camps over the weekend, Chitwood wrote.
Flagler County’s Sheltering Tree, under the umbrella of the Flagler County Family Assistance Center, operates the county’s only cold-weather shelter. Located at the Rock Transformation Center at 2200 N. State Street in Bunnell, the Sheltering Tree is a non-denominational civic organization created to provide cold weather sheltering during cold nights in Flagler County according to a Flagler County press release.
The Sheltering Tree has seen an average of 28 people per night so far.
The Sheltering Tree will be open Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Thursday, Feb. 5, but will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 4. The shelter is not only for those experiencing homelessness, but for anyone who is without heat, the press release said.
The shelter has been open a total of 13 nights in January, including the planned Thursday, Feb. 5 opening, and averaging 28 guests per night. according to Flagler County.
According to its website, The Sheltering Tree operates through a series of volunteer teams, made up of individuals, nonprofit organizations and local churches. Flagler County provides free transportation to the Rock Transformation Center for those in need.
