Tulsa Winter Weather Update Feb. 8 – 3:30 p.m.

2/8/2021

The City of Tulsa is continuing to treat Tulsa’s roadways as freezing drizzle falls across the city. 

Crews are treating all arterial routes with salt.

Because the National Weather Service has updated their forecast, which shows freezing drizzle continuing until at least 11 p.m. tonight, the City is moving to a 24-hour response.

Employees currently working the morning shift will be released at 4 p.m. to go home and will report back to work at midnight tonight. Evening shift employees have been notified and will report to their locations to begin driving from 4 p.m. until midnight. 

Currently, the forecast shows a break and then a return of freezing rain very early Wednesday morning. We anticipate resuming morning shift operations at midnight on Wed., Feb. 10.

We will continue to monitor the forecast and make changes to this plan as warranted.

Additionally, due to the weather, bulky waste will not be picked up on Tues., Feb. 9. Refuse will still be picked up, but will take extra time.

The City of Tulsa is responsible for clearing snow and ice from the Gilcrease Expressway, 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:

• 62 truck-mounted salt spreaders
• 4 truck-mounted Liquid Applicator Systems for brine application
• 48 truck-mounted snow plows (Of the 62 trucks with spreaders, and 4 trucks with Liquid Applicator Systems, 48 have plows.)
• 7 4x4 pick-up trucks equipped with snow plows
• 3 motor graders for use as plows
• 210 employees (including drivers and support staff)
• Approximately 9,500 tons of salt 
• 2 salt brine mixing systems

Crews are assigned to 35 specific routes totaling 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 then moves to residential or collector streets near hospitals, schools and areas with steep hills. The following link includes every map and route the City uses for arterial streets, collector streets, schools and steep hills: www.cityoftulsa.org/winterpreparedness

Want to receive updates on emergency weather information and create a disaster plan for your family? Download the free Tulsa Ready App, compatible with Android and iOS systems. Follow the City of Tulsa on Twitter for updates during winter weather season, @cityoftulsagov