The cold weather shelter in the auditorium of the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center on Elm Street will be open for the duration of the week from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. starting tonight.
Volunteers have provided blankets, supplies and food for those in need in addition to two people who will supervise throughout the night.
The Coalition for the Homeless in Nassau County partnered with the City of Fernandina Beach to open the emergency shelter to the public anytime the weather is predicted to drop below 40 degrees.
The MLK cold weather shelter will stay open for the remainder of the week and beyond if the temperatures remain below 40.
It is currently the only emergency shelter of its kind on the east side of Nassau County. The Callahan Methodist Church additionally provides a shelter for those in need on the west side from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. when the temperature is predicted to be below 40 degrees.
The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for the area early Tuesday morning, between 1 a.m. and 10 a.m. Temperatures are expected to drop to 27, with a wind chill as low as 20. Temperatures are expected to rise Tuesday during the day to 46, and then drop again overnight. A freeze watch will be in effect from 9 p.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Wednesday.