The first day of meteorological winter brought the season’s first brush with winter weather. The City of Tulsa is prepared for more — but weather experts say it should be a mild winter.
The city is responsible for clearing snow and ice from all arterial streets, plus L.L. Tisdale Parkway and Gilcrease Expressway. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation maintains all other highways in Tulsa’s city limits.
According to the city, nearly 210 employees — including drivers and support staff — are standing by to respond to winter weather. Those drivers are assigned to clear 36 routes across Tulsa.
Carson Colvin, communications officer at the city, said folks should avoid the roads if they can and give yourself extra time if you can’t.
“If you can, we always like to ask people to maybe leave a little bit later, so that you don’t leave at those peak traffic times. It also lets the (brine) do its work,” Colvin said.
During a winter weather response, the city prioritizes treating elevated surfaces and main arterial streets. Once those roads are clear, city employees then clear residential or collector streets near hospitals, schools and areas with steep hills.
Available resources include:
- 66 trucks mounted with salt spreaders; of those, 53 have mounted snow plows
- Four trucks mounted with liquid applicator (LAS) brine systems and three mounted plows
- Seven 4×4 pickup trucks equipped with snow plows
- Two motor graders for use as plows
- About 9,000 tons of salt (with more being delivered)
- Two brine mixing systems with 76,600 gallons of salt brine
- Two tanks with 3,000 gallons of 32% calcium chloride
- 210 employees, including drivers and support staff
The city also has a stockpile of 9,000 tons of salt, 76,600 gallons of salt brine and 3,000 gallons of calcium chloride, plus dozens of trucks armed with salt and brine spreaders and snow plows.
ODOT deploys hundreds of trucks statewide during winter storms with nearly 1,000 crew members working in shifts around the clock. The state agency keeps a stock of about 130,000 tons of salt and sand and 121 tons of magnesium chloride.
ODOT has a guide with tips for driving in snow and ice, plus an emergency kit checklist. If you have to be on the roads, the department’s biggest tip is watch out for snow plows.
“We ask drivers to remain 200-300 feet behind plows,” said T.J. Gerlach, spokesman for ODOT. “That’s the length of about four or five school buses. Please do not pass plows, and give them plenty of room to work clearing the highways.
While the city is prepared for snow and ice — if and when it arrives — Tulsa-based meteorologist Kirsten Lang says La Niña may actually keep things warmer and drier than usual.
“Just because we got these couple shots of some winter weather right here around the holidays, I wouldn’t necessarily take that as this being one of those winters (where we’re) going to have just a really cold and snowy season,” Lang said. “But it doesn’t mean that you don’t get little pockets here and there like we just had this morning.”
Tulsa could see another rain and snow mix come into the metro area by Thursday or Friday, Lang said, but these weather events do not necessarily mean a long and harsh winter is coming.
The City of Tulsa opened several warming stations and shelters through the season for Tulsans in need.
- John 3:16 Mission – 506 N. Cheyenne Ave., open 24/7
- Tulsa Day Center – 415 W. Archer St., open 24/7 (pets allowed with limited capacity)
- Salvation Army, Downtown Tulsa – 102 N. Denver Ave., open 24/7
- BeHeard Winter Weather Shelter, East Tulsa – 7216 E. Admiral Place, open 24/7 (pets allowed, adults only)
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