Bay Area residents prepare for cold snap

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- The cold snap has people around the Bay Area taking precautions. Plants and pipes are always the biggest concern.

Gardener Bird Morningstar had his hands full on New Year's Eve, going from one client's house to the next, spraying their citrus trees and other plants with a protective coating of pine oil just in time for the cold snap.

"It's actually going to penetrate the leaves," he said. "And this will give you about five degrees difference during the morning frost. And of course it's always a good idea if you cut it even, put a sheet over it, and take the sheet off the next morning so it can absorb the sunlight. The frost will nip this pretty badly."

The oil can also be used to protect gardenias, geraniums, and ferns among other vulnerable species when the temperatures plunge below freezing.

Across town, normally open only during the day, the Trinity Center opened a warming shelter for overnight stays. But there were only 12 spaces, and they were already taken. That's why the Trinity Center appealed to other facilities, including churches, to help provide space.

"It needs to be an easily accessible location," said Donna Colombo with The Trinity Center. "But warm, a floor, folks will sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. They don't need much, just a warm place to sleep."

For those who have to stay outside, county outreach workers are going out at night, offering blankets, gift cards, and information about available services in the cold weather.

Find out what the weather will be like for the week ahead. Click here to watch the AccuWeather Forecast.