City of Dover Warming and Cooling Centers

Need emergency assistance?

The City's Public Welfare Department is available to coordinate services for those who need and want emergency assistance, including shelter, food and medical care.

The Public Welfare Department, 61 Locust St., Room 334 on the third floor of the McConnell Center, is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: 603-516-6500; website: www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/public-welfare/.

For after-hours emergency needs, call 603-742-4646, visit the Police Department at 46 Chestnut St, or any of the three fire stations, all available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to request assistance.

Warming Center of Strafford County operating as-needed through Winter

The tri-cities of Dover, Somersworth and Rochester with Strafford County have contracted with the non-profit organization East Coast Evolution Leadership LLC to operate the warming center at 30 Willand Drive in Somersworth on an emergency basis, through March 31, 2025.

When activated, the warming center will be available for those seeking shelter from 4 p.m. through 9 a.m. the following morning.

The City of Dover owns the Willand Drive facility. The City Council authorized its purchase in December 2020 with federal grant funds to help ease pressure on regional facilities that provide services to the unhoused during the first winter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activation criteria

As a general guideline, the Emergency Management Directors (EMD’s) of Dover, Rochester, and Somersworth will declare the need to open the Willand Warming Center on nights when the National Weather Service online forecast for the Skyhaven Airport in Rochester predicts extreme/sever weather conditions meeting pre-established criteria between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 .a.m.

Extreme and/or severe weather is defined by:

Ambient air temperatures at or below 28 degrees, or windchill temperatures at or below 20 degrees, for more than four consecutive hours;
A weather event defined with “blizzard” or “Nor’easter” conditions involving significant precipitation and wind;

Other weather conditions the EMDs may deem extreme or severe include:

Unusually quick dropping temperatures;
Heavy snowfall greater than six inches;
Heavy rainfall greater than two inches;
A half-inch of heavy precipitation of ice or sleet with temperatures at or below 30 degrees.

Volunteer and donations

The warming center operator welcomes donations and volunteers to help make a successful season. They’ve included an Amazon wishlist for supplies for those interested in helping keep the center stocked. The warming center is utilizing the website volunteershift.com to manage schedules for those who would like to volunteer. Create a free account and view available volunteer shifts by clicking here.

The warming center operator created a Facebook group and encourages community folks to join for updates on all things pertaining to the warming center beyond basic activation alerts.

Visit the Warming Center of Strafford County's Facebook page for updates. Contact the Warming Center at 603-742-2709.

Transportation to Warming Center

During activation nights, the warming center operator will provide to the center from the following locations generally within these pickup times*:

Dover Transportation Center, 33 Chestnut St. - 5:00-5:15 p.m.
Rochester City Hall, 31 Wakefield St. - 5:30-5:45 p.m.
Rochester First Methodist Church, 34 South Main St - 6:15

*Times are based on best estimations and may vary depending on the needs and circumstances of riders at each location.

By bus

The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation, or COAST, operates a fleet of buses through the Seacoast region. Tickets/bus passes required. Find schedules, trip planners and a link to its real-time bus information phone app at https://coastbus.org.

Access the Warming Center 30 Willand Drive via Route 108 (New Rochester Road), or Commercial Drive from High Street in Somersworth.

The two nearest COAST bus stops are

Route 1: High Street: Holy Trinity Church/Bernier Street
Route 12: Midway Buick/Coastal Neurology.

City facilities serve as warming and cooling centers

Several City of Dover facilities serve as warming centers during extreme cold weather and cooling centers during extreme hot weather.

These specific public buildings are accessible and welcome those seeking relief from the weather during regular business hours:

Dover Public Library, 73 Locust St. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
McConnel Center, 61 Locust St. Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dover City Hall, 288 Central Ave. Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dover Police Department Lobby, 46 Chestnut St. Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Dover's three fire stations are also open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are located at 262 Sixth St., 9-11 Broadway, and 25 Durham Road.

For an up-to-date weather forecast, visit the National Weather Service's information for Dover at bit.ly/doverweather.