Broken Arrow, Tulsa metro braces for snow, bitter cold

By John Dobberstein, Editor

With bitter cold air, high winds and heavy snow in the forecast tomorrow, much of Broken Arrow and the Tulsa metro area is making preparations.

Most municipalities, school districts and colleges are shutting it down for the day, as well as many organizations that had meetings or activities planned.

A winter storm warning and extreme cold warning have been issued by the National Weather Service in Tulsa. Some forecasters said Monday afternoon that trends appear to be shifting towards slightly more snow and colder air in the Tulsa area — although the storm track could shift a bit and adjust the precipitation totals. Regardless of how much snow falls, bitter cold will settle in tomorrow night after the snow exits the area.

The precipitation will arrive early Tuesday morning and continue into early Wednesday across eastern Oklahoma and west-central Arkansas, the National Weather Service office in Tulsa says.

The current warnings forecast snow of 5-10 inches in the Tulsa metro area and a foot or more of snow along and north of Highway 412 – with lesser amounts south of I-40. Ice accumulations of up to 0.10 of an inch are forecast as well. The NWS says blizzard or near-blizzard conditions will exist for a time near the Kansas-Oklahoma border.

Heavy snow impacts are most likely in northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas from early Tuesday morning to early Wednesday morning, “with widespread moderate to locally major travel impacts expected, including potential for blowing and drifting snow,” forecasters say.

Minor snow, sleet and ice accumulation impacts are expected southward into southeast Oklahoma and west central Arkansas. A very low chance of isolated, short duration power impacts will also exist, although this is not expected to be a significant issue, the NSW says.

On Wednesday, for which an Extreme Cold Warning has been issued, colder air and wind gusts up to 20 mph creating wind chills up to -17 degrees F. This can cause frostbite or hypothermia without precautions.

BROKEN ARROW

The Broken Arrow Public Schools, Union Public Schools and Broken Arrow city government will all be closed Tuesday due to the weather, as well as Northeastern State University and Tulsa Community College.

Broken Arrow officials said they’re closely monitoring the forecast and are making the following adjustments to city operations, “for the safety of employees and to minimize the risk of personal injury and property damage.”

Street Maintenance

Employees of the city’s Streets and Stormwater Department will begin shifts at 2 a.m. Tuesday pretreating the city’s nearly 600 lane miles of arterial streets and bridges. The department will transition from pretreatment to removal operations as the snow begins to fall.

The operations will continue until the precipitation passes and the arterials are clear. Because of the extremely low temperatures, brine and salt treatment of the roadways are not expected to be as effective as past events, which will likely require more time to clear the roadways.

Motorists are advised to drive only if necessary, reduce speed, leave enough room between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you, and be alert to the road conditions as you travel.

Streets and Stormwater

The city is prepared with 14 dump trucks equipped with plows and spreaders, 5 trucks with plows and brine tanks, 2,400 tons of salt and 10,000 gallons of brine.

City facilities will be closed Tuesday and non-emergency personnel will not report to work. City services, such as permit or license applications and payments, can be done on the city website or on the My Broken Arrow Action Center app. The docket for Broken Arrow Municipal Court on Feb. 18 has been canceled.

Trash and recycling curbside pickup will be running Inclement weather routes this week, which means employees will operate a single route with automated side Loaders and empty all contents into one vehicle. Trash and recycling carts will not be separated.

Carts should be placed at the curb the night before their scheduled pick-up this week.

If the condition of the roads prohibits our ability to safely complete a service route and your cart is not emptied, please leave the cart at the curb. The city will resume route collections as soon as the roads are safely passable, in the order they were suspended.

City officials said residents should ensure their cart is at least 8 feet from any nearby obstruction such as a parked vehicle, basketball goal, or mailbox. Extra bags outside the cart will not be collected. Bulky waste services have been suspended this week. For customers who were on the schedule, staff will contact you to reschedule your appointment.

Crews are available for emergency water line repairs. Water line breaks should be reported to the Broken Arrow police non-emergency line at 918-259-8400.

The front classrooms at the Public Safety Complex, 1101 N. 6th Street, will be available for individuals who need to get in out of the cold.

CITY OF TULSA

Mayor Monroe Nichols signed an emergency disaster declaration that allows the city to mobilize budgetary and emergency management resources for the snow and frigid weather. The declaration expires Monday, Feb. 24.  

Starting tonight, city of Tulsa crews will start 24-hour snow and ice operations. City brine crews will report at midnight tonight to address elevated surfaces. At 2 a.m., all A.M. shift crews will report to prepare for snowfall expected early in the morning on Tuesday. The City will adjust this plan based on weather conditions and will continue this response until main roads are passable.

As background, the City of Tulsa is responsible for clearing snow and ice from all arterial (main) streets, but not from most major highways that pass through. Highway segments in Tulsa such as  I-44, I-244, the Broken Arrow Expressway, the Creek Turnpike and Highway are the responsibility of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The City’s snow and ice routes, in addition to the resources the City has to treat Tulsa’s roads, can be found online at www.cityoftulsa.org/winterpreparedness. 

STATE RESPONSE

Gov. Kevin Sitt said the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS), Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), Department of Transportation (ODOT), Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM), and the Oklahoma National Guard (OKNG) are actively mobilizing resources to protect public safety and maintain essential services.

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority crews began pre-treating turnpikes, bridges and overpasses Sunday. Pre-treatment work continues today, particularly in the northeastern portion of the state where the heaviest precipitation is expected.

Both ODOT and OTA crews are closely monitoring weather as it approaches the state and will work around the clock and remain deployed until road conditions are clear. The agencies have plenty of salt, sand, and magnesium chloride stocked across the state to treat snowy and icy conditions through the duration of this winter weather event.

The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been activated at Level 3 for increased readiness. The State EOC is in contact with local emergency managers, state and federal partners, and voluntary agencies to coordinate resource requests as conditions evolve. OEM has boosted staffing levels to support the activation, including staff stationed in northeast Oklahoma should support be needed or requested.

The Governor has authorized the deployment of Oklahoma National Guard to join Stranded Motorist Recovery Teams in north and northeastern Oklahoma.

Three teams, operating under the direction of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, consist of approximately 10 Guardsmen each, utilizing Humvees, wreckers, and Light Medium Tactical Vehicles. These teams are based out of Vinita, Chouteau, and Perry, with a fourth team on standby. OKNG will collaborate with local first responders to aid stranded motorists and assist residents in the hardest hit areas.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond said his office will be paying close attention to natural gas supply and marketing activity. He said the agency is committed to making sure Oklahomans are not exploited as they were during 2021’s crippling winter storm.

“It is important that ratepayers be protected from price manipulation to ensure fair costs that reflect market conditions,” Drummond said. “While I understand the natural volatility of energy prices during inclement weather, such fluctuations do not justify predatory behavior.”

Drummond is asking public utilities to notify his office if natural gas marketers fail to meet their obligations as specified by contact.

UTILITIES PREPARED

PSO Information

PSO is monitoring the weather closely and is ready to respond if needed. Utility crews are prepared to mobilize should any service be affected by the winter weather. While no impacts are immediately apparent, PSO wants to remind Tulsans of the steps they can take in the event of an outage.

• If your home loses power, notify PSO using the mobile app, www.psoklahoma.com, or by phone at 1-833-PSO-OUTG (833) 776-6884.
• For safety’s sake, assume that any downed utility line is energized with deadly electric current. Stay away from the line and do not touch it with anything. Report it to PSO at 1-833-PSO OUTG or 1-833-776-6884.
• Please do not approach crews and utility vehicles you see in your neighborhood to ask when power will be restored. Doing so could jeopardize your safety. Outward vision from the large utility vehicles can be limited. A crew may not see someone who has walked up to their work truck.
• If you use a generator, please follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions. Do not operate the unit indoors. Connect appliances directly to the generator’s electric outlets…not to the main electrical panel of your home or business unless you have had an electric load transfer switch installed to isolate your home’s wiring from PSO’s electric system. Otherwise, you jeopardize the safety of utility workers.
• If you evacuate your house, please disconnect (open) your home’s main electrical breaker after you turn off the generator. This will eliminate any possibility of the generator feeding power back into PSO’s electric system.

Additional information and cold weather tips can be found online.

ONG

Oklahoma Natural Gas continues to monitor the weather and is prepared to deliver safe, reliable natural gas to its customers’ homes and businesses across the state.

The accumulation of snow and ice increases the potential for damage to natural gas meters and above-ground pipeline facilities

Here are some tips to stay safe and warm:

• Keep exhaust and combustion air vents of natural gas appliances clear of snow and ice to maintain smooth operation and prevent carbon monoxide from entering homes and other structures.
• Extreme care should be taken when removing ice or snow from such vents or a natural gas meter. When possible, use a broom instead of a shovel to avoid damage, and never stand or climb on unsafe ground or surfaces to reach vents.
• If you smell natural gas:
  • Leave the area immediately.
  • Do not use electrical equipment.
  • Call 911 and Oklahoma Natural Gas at (800) 458-4251

Additionally, customers can follow the tips below to help reduce their natural gas use:

• Install foam gaskets to seal outlets and electrical switches.
• Keep warm, not hot — when possible, wear additional layers of clothing and check your programmable settings.
• Hold off doing chores that involve using natural gas appliances until temperatures rebound.
• Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Apply weatherstripping and caulk to seal gaps and cracks around doors and windows.
• Change or clean the filters on heating or air conditioning units.