One of the coldest air masses in years began bearing down on the Gulf Coast this week, with temperatures expected to plunge into the teens and single digits across parts of the region — and cities from Mobile Bay to the beach are scrambling to keep freezing weather from wrecking public plumbing.
A wind chill advisory was in effect through Saturday morning as the arctic front arrived. In response, several municipalities announced temporary closures of parks, restrooms and water fountains:
Mobile: Restrooms at all passive parks closed at 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22 so crews could protect plumbing fixtures, with facilities scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27.
Fairhope: Public restrooms at city parks and the Fairhope Municipal Pier shut down Friday, Dec. 23 while the city cut water service to the fixtures. Restrooms were expected back online Monday, Dec. 26 once temperatures climbed above freezing.
Baldwin County: Restrooms at Meyer Park, Mo’s Landing and along the beach closed Thursday morning, Dec. 21, with officials promising to reopen them “as soon as weather conditions allow.”
Gulf State Park: Restrooms and water fountains at Alabama Point and Cotton Bayou went offline, and a stretch of the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail closed Thursday through Tuesday during the freeze.
Local plumbers spent the week urging homeowners to drip faucets, open cabinet doors under sinks, insulate exposed pipes and know where their water shutoff valve is — steps that can mean the difference between a cold morning and a burst-pipe disaster when Gulf Coast homes, rarely built for arctic air, face single-digit wind chills.