City of Tulsa Winter Weather Update – Jan. 24, 4:15 p.m.

1/24/2023

The City of Tulsa is responding to winter weather expected through early Wednesday morning.  

As the rain transitions to snow this afternoon, City of Tulsa street crews will use salt to help with the melting process and plows to help clear the roadways. Crews will work through this evening and tonight and will monitor road conditions throughout the event to determine what other needs may exist. 

City’s Snow/Ice Response 

The City of Tulsa is responsible for clearing snow and ice from the Gilcrease Expressway (except for the Turnpike section), L.L. Tisdale Expressway, and all arterial (main) streets. Other highway segments in Tulsa are the responsibility of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.  

After a snow or ice storm begins, the goal is to make expressways and arterial streets safe and passable as soon as possible. These resources are available to attain this goal:

• 63 truck-mounted salt spreaders 
• 4 truck-mounted Liquid Applicator Systems for brine application when appropriate.  
• 53 truck-mounted snowplows (Of the 63 trucks with spreaders, and 4 trucks with Liquid Applicator Systems.) 
• 7 4x4 pick-up trucks equipped with snowplows.  
• 3 motor graders for use as plows. 
• 210 employees (including drivers and support staff) 
• Approximately 10,500 tons of salt and still receiving material 
• 2 salt brine mixing systems with 40,000 gallons of salt brine 

Crews are assigned to 36 specific routes totaling approximately 1,770 lane-miles, which is approximately the same distance as driving from Tulsa to San Francisco. Spreading and plowing routes are prioritized based on traffic counts. Once the main streets are cleared and conditions permit, selected residential streets may be treated based on traffic and steepness.  

During winter weather response, the first focus is to clear city arterial streets for emergency responders. After arterial streets are clear, the second focus moves to residential or collector streets near hospitals, schools, and steep hills. The following link includes every map and route the City uses for arterial streets, collector streets, schools, and steep hills: