January 30, 2026 at 10:30 a.m.
The City of Asheville is actively preparing for winter weather expected this weekend, with crews across departments taking steps to ensure public safety, maintain critical services, and respond quickly to weather-related impacts. This includes activating the City’s Emergency Operation Plan.
Parking Services
The community is asked to avoid parking on roads after 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan 30. All City-owned parking garages will open free of charge beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday for those who need to park, and will resume charging at 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 1. Any vehicles parked in the garage before this time will be able to exit free of charge. If off-street parking is not available in your neighborhood, please park on the same side of the street. This allows snow plows and treatment vehicles to clear snow and improve road conditions.
For the latest on parking availability, click the link for real-time parking information
Friday ART bus service will end at 5 p.m. today
Last runs for ART bus service will begin at 3 p.m. today, with service ending at 5 p.m. Roads will be assessed overnight and more information about Saturday service will be shared as it becomes available. Please check the Service Alerts section on the website for any updates.
Parks and Recreation
All Asheville Parks & Recreation community centers will close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and remain closed through Sunday, February 1. All programming, including APR Afterschool and scheduled basketball games, is canceled. For their own safety, community members are strongly cautioned to stay out of parks during extreme weather events. Park visitors should observe winter weather outdoor safety tips if travel through a park or greenway is unavoidable.
WNC Nature Center
The WNC Nature Center will be closed Saturday and Sunday.
Asheville Fire REST Staffing & Code Purple
The Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care has activated Code Purple through tomorrow night, January 30, and expects to continue operations through the weekend. Code Purple and Winter Shelters provide emergency overflow shelter beds with fewer requirements than in typical programming. Winter Shelter is available nightly during the winter season, and Code Purple shelter is activated in response to extreme weather or emergency situations. Code Purple Operations Coordinators can be reached at (828) 785-4855.
Additionally, the Asheville Fire Department REST team will be staffed to assist unhoused individuals 24/7 through the weekend.
More information about Code Purple shelters can be found on the city’s cold weather emergency shelter page.
City crews will continue monitoring conditions and will provide updates as needed.