With temperatures forecast to reach the low 20s overnight throughout greater Portland, Multnomah County officials announced Friday that local governments will reopen three warming shelters in Portland and one in Troutdale.

The change comes just a day after county and city of Portland officials decided to close the temporary warming centers, citing rising temperatures. The local governments had opened most of its seven such centers on Christmas Day and operated most or all of them them day- and night-round until 2 p.m. Thursday.

Roughly 550 people had stayed at the shelters Wednesday night.

The four shelters that will reopen at 7 p.m. on New Years Eve are: the Oregon Convention Center in inner Northeast Portland; the East Portland Community Center near Southeast Stark Street and 103rd Drive; Mt. Scott Community Center on Southeast 72nd Avenue near Foster Road; and Reynolds High School on Southwest Cherry Park Road in Troutdale.

People seeking shelter can dial 2-1-1 for the latest information on shelter locations and to secure transportation to a shelter. TriMet will offer fare-free rides to people who need to get to a warming shelter.

People experiencing homelessness have an increased risk of becoming severely ill or dying from exposure-related conditions such as hypothermia and frostbite, particularly in cold or wet weather.

In late fall or winter 2020, three people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County died from hypothermia or with hypothermia designated as a significant factor in their death, a county report says. Each year, county public health officials and officials at homelessness advocacy nonprofit Street Roots examine all deaths among people living unhoused to see patterns that might be prevented.

A Portland man who had housing but also had dementia died of hypothermia Christmas Day after he was not helped to get to his usual A TriMet LIFT bus that was scheduled to bring him home.

— Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @OregonianPol