Code Blue Alert issued for multiple northern Utah counties
Mar 4, 2024, 7:25 AM
(Screen grab: https://dhhs.utah.gov/code-blue-utah)
(Screen grab: https://dhhs.utah.gov/code-blue-utah)
SALT LAKE CITY — Local officials declared a Code Blue Alert Sunday night for Salt Lake County and other parts of the Wasatch Front, and Code Blue conditions were expected again Monday night for at least eight counties across northern and eastern Utah.
A Code Blue Alert means forecast temperatures or wind chills will fall below 15 degrees for at least two hours over 24 hours. The designation allows local authorities to relax rules around homeless shelter occupancy, freeing up more room to bring people out of the cold.
Under Utah law, homeless shelters can increase capacity by as much as 35% during Code Blue conditions. As long as the homeless shelter meets building and fire code regulations, they can’t deny temporary shelter to the homeless during a Code Blue Alert. In addition, cities and counties can’t enforce rules against camping during the Code Blue Alert, nor can they seize cold weather survival gear. The alerts are issued at the county level.
Salt Lake County was one of several counties that met the Code Blue Alert criteria Sunday night into Monday morning. For the 24 hours beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, Cache, Carbon, Duchesne, Morgan, Sanpete, Summit, Uintah and Wasatch Counties are expected to meet the Code Blue Alert threshold.
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