DES MOINES, Iowa —

Amid significant snowfall and below-freezing temperatures , Central Iowa Shelter and Services is seeing a surge in people using their resources.

But the timing has CEO Melissa O'Neil bracing for a long winter.

"One of the biggest things I think we're concerned about is is it going to be that rough winter where we end up being in weather amnesty for over 45 days?" she said.

She says on average, the shelter has weather amnesty — which is when the shelter accommodates more people in poor weather conditions — for about 45 days in a year.

But this year is the earliest use of weather amnesty procedures that she can remember, meaning resources could be stressed for longer.

"Serving individuals at a high level of capacity well above and beyond what this building was inte

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