(Photo by John Griffiths)

As the District faces the season’s first bout of frigid temperatures, the city has activated its Cold Emergency Plan through 7 a.m. on Friday.

D.C. guarantees shelter on freezing nights, but the government opens emergency warming sites when the temperature falls below 15 degrees, or 20 degrees with precipitation.

While the forecast calls for highs in the upper 20s, it could feel as low as 10 degrees with the wind chill, according to the National Weather Service. Punishing gusts of winds are expected all day, as high as 35-40 mph.

D.C.’s homeless population of more than 8,000 people is the highest per capita of 32 major cities, according to a new report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors that used data from annual point-in-time counts. The survey last January found that the District’s homeless population increased by 1,052 people—or 14 percent. It was behind only two states in terms of the absolute increase, and far and away the highest per capita, according to a recent HUD report.

The bright spot is that the District has one of the lowest rates of homeless people who aren’t being sheltered: less than 4 percent. But that still leaves more than 300 people facing potentially deadly weather.

Two homeless people died of hypothermia last winter, and a homeless man in a wheelchair was found dead of hypothermia last month on the streets of Columbia Heights.

If you see someone in need of shelter, you can call the DC Shelter Hotline (202-399-7093) or 311 and include the time, address or location of the sighting, and a description of the person’s appearance. A list of low barrier and alert night emergency shelters and warming site locations can be found here.