Baldwin County is still experiencing widespread impacts across its extensive area, and Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency officials are urging residents to stay vigilant and take necessary precautions.
Here is a list of updates to safety information such as warming shelters and road conditions, as well as current closures and schedule changes.
Baldwin County remains under an Impassable Roads Advisory, according to county commission.
The Baldwin County Highway Department is patrolling roads and assessing safety. “Due to the size of Baldwin County, these widespread impacts are being felt across multiple areas, with some regions experiencing greater challenges in accessibility. Travel is strongly discouraged unless absolutely necessary,” Baldwin EMA spokesperson Jessica Waters wrote in the agency’s Thursday morning update.
Orange Beach’s bridges at the Foley Beach Express and Predido Pass remained open as of Thursday morning, but it still has “significant ice patches,” according to the Orange Beach Fire Department. Areas of Perdido Beach Boulevard, especially in front of Turquoise Place, have large ice patches that are “unavoidable.”
All roads and bridges in Gulf Shores are open, according to the city. "Several of our roads still have significant ice patches, especially areas that are shaded. Temperatures are forecast to rise above freezing around 10 a.m. which will help ice patches begin to melt."
Updates from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency:
Interstate 10 eastbound from exit 44 to the Florida line is iced over and closed.
Alabama 180 is iced over.
Alabama 225 near the 6 mile marker is iced over and closed.
U.S. 90 near the 50 mile marker is iced over and closed.
Interstate 65 northbound and southbound between the 19-37 mile markers is iced over and closed. The northbound lanes are being diverted to exit 34 (Alabama 59). The southbound lanes are being diverted to exit 37 (Alabama 287).
South Mobile Street at Fairhope Ave is iced over and closed.
S. 90 / U.S. 98 Causeway at the Tensaw River Bridge near the Battleship is iced over.
Baldwin County 24 at U.S. 98 is iced over.
Baldwin County 24 at Alabama 181 is iced over.
The hilltops of Alabama 59 between Stockton and Interstate 65 are iced over.
U.S. 31 at Shambo Road is iced over.
Snow and ice blanketing Baldwin County have introduced residents to a rare winter challenge, disrupting travel and closing major roadways. Hundreds of semi-trucks are now lined up along Highway 59 as drivers await the reopening of Interstate 10, which remains closed eastbound to Tallahassee.
The closure has caused significant disruptions, with commercial and personal traffic forced to find alternative routes. Once I-10 reopens, congestion is expected to build, particularly near the intersection of Highway 59 and I-10.
Drivers planning to head east are encouraged to prepare for delays, monitor road conditions, and proceed with caution. For real-time updates on road closures and traffic, visit www.algotraffic.com.
Warming shelters across Baldwin County remain open to provide safe and warm spaces for residents and visitors. Latest reported shelter occupancy numbers include:
Foley – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Foley): 12
Fairhope United Methodist Church: 2
Robertsdale First Baptist Church: 0
Restoration House of Atmore: 5
Baldwin County 9-1-1 has reported a high volume of calls due to the hazardous road conditions. To minimize accidents and ensure emergency response availability, the public is strongly urged to stay off the roads.
Utility companies are continuing to request that residents and businesses conserve power. Despite the challenging weather, crews are working to restore power and make necessary repairs.
As of 8:30 a.m., Baldwin EMC was reporting two outages affecting 27 people, Riviera Utilities was reporting one outage affecting 359 people, and Alabama Power was reporting no outages in Baldwin County.
Here are updates to closures and changes in Baldwin County due to anticipated extreme cold and possible winter weather early this week. This list will be updated. To submit a note to it, email kayla@gulfcoastmedia.com.
Some USA Health physician clinics will be closed Thursday, Jan. 23, while others will open due to surrounding road conditions. If your appointment is impacted, your provider's office will reach out to you directly to reschedule or provide further instructions. Updates can be found on USA Health's social media accounts.
The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County has announced that there will be no garbage pickup Thursday, Jan. 23. Garbage routes scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21, will be picked up on Friday, Jan. 24; those scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 22, will be picked up on Saturday, Jan. 25; and those scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, will be picked up Sunday, Jan. 26.
The City of Gulf Shores will be running a modified trash, recycling and debris pickup schedule for the week of Jan. 20-24. Trash routes will be collected Friday, Jan. 24. Recycling will not be collected this week, regular operations are scheduled to resume next week. Debris pickup routes will begin Friday, Jan. 24, however, due to a hault in operations from the storm, the city is behind schedule and will try to collect as much debris as possible.
All landfills will be closed Thursday Jan. 23, except Magnolia Landfill. Magnolia’s hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weather permitting. Friday, Jan. 24, all landfills and offices will reopen normal business hours.
Additionally, Magnolia Landfill will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, and Bay Minette Transfer Station will be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. MacBride and Eastfork Landfills will be open normal hours on Saturday.
The Foley City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, has been rescheduled to Monday, Jan. 27.
All Catholic schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties are closed for students on Thursday, Jan. 23 and Friday, Jan. 24. Administrative and maintenance staff are to report to their respective schools on Friday when safe to do so.
Baldwin County Public Schools will be closed for the remainder of the week. They will open for school on Monday, Jan. 27, on a regular schedule.
Gulf Shores City Schools will not resume regular classes and operations until Monday, Jan. 27. The school will be closed Friday, Jan. 24 and Friday events will be rescheduled.
Orange Beach City Schools will remain closed through Friday, Jan. 24. Regular in-person classes are scheduled to resume Monday, Jan. 27.
All campuses of Coastal Alabama Community College will remain closed on Friday, Jan. 24, due to weather and road conditions. Operations will resume as scheduled on Monday, Jan. 27.
City of Gulf Shores offices and facilities will remain closed to the public on Friday, Jan. 24, as staff members ensure the facilities are prepared to resume opperations. Gulf Shores Police Department, Gulf Shores Fire Rescue, and other emergency services will continue normal operations. Recreation facilities including the Bodenhamer Recreation Center, Tennis Center, Gulf Shores Museum and the Gulf Shores City Store will resume normal business hours on Saturday, Jan. 25. Normal business hours for city offices will resume on Monday, Jan. 27 at 8 a.m.
The City of Daphne has adjusted their upcoming meeting schedule. The city council meeting will now be held on Monday, Jan. 27, at 5 p.m. or immediately following the finance committee meeting in City Council Chambers, with the finance committee meeting beginning at 4 p.m. The Downtown Redevelopment Authority meeting originally scheduled for Jan. 23 has been canceled. Planning commission has been rescheduled to Thursday, Jan. 30, at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers. The Junior City Council meeting scheduled for Jan. 22 has been canceled. No meetings are planned for Jan. 22 or Jan. 23, and the canceled meetings will be addressed later.
Baldwin County Commission has determined that all county-maintained facilities, including courthouses, will remain closed on Thursday, Jan. 23.
The City of Fairhope has postponed their State of the City event originally scheduled for Jan. 23. The event will now take place on Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Fairhope Civic Center.