Mobile, Alabama – An unusually sharp winter cold snap will reach the central Gulf Coast late Sunday night, bringing dangerous wind chills to south Alabama, northwest Florida, and southeast Mississippi through Monday morning. Even coastal communities will feel biting cold more typical of inland winter outbreaks.
The coldest conditions arrive after midnight Sunday night as brisk north winds funnel colder air toward the coast. Wind chills are expected to drop to around 10 degrees north of I-10, including inland Mobile and Baldwin counties, and into the mid-teens closer to the beaches. The most severe cold is expected near daybreak Monday before gradually easing mid-morning.
According to the National Weather Service office in Mobile, a Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from midnight Sunday night through 9 a.m. CST Monday for south central and southwest Alabama, northwest Florida, and southeast Mississippi. Areas impacted include Mobile, Prichard, Saraland, Bay Minette, Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, and inland communities across Clarke, Monroe, Washington, and Escambia counties.
Travelers heading out early Monday along I-10, I-65, U.S. 98, and coastal bridges should prepare for harsh wind chills, especially at bus stops and park-and-ride locations. According to emergency management officials, residents should dress in layers, wear hats and gloves, and limit prolonged outdoor exposure. Pets should be brought indoors, and outdoor animals provided with warm shelter and unfrozen water.
This level of cold is uncommon for the Gulf Coast and could stress plumbing and heating systems. Residents are urged to protect exposed pipes, safely use space heaters, and avoid running generators or grills indoors. Officials note that if wind chills trend colder along the immediate coastline, stronger cold alerts may be needed.
Conditions improve late Monday morning, but chilly nights linger into midweek across the central Gulf Coast.
