Hazardous Roads: Travel Discouraged In Northwestern Oklahoma

Oklahoma Department of Transportation crews continue to treat highways and bridges with salt and sand in central Oklahoma. Highways are slick and hazardous in the Oklahoma City metro area and drivers should use extra caution, especially on bridges and overpasses, which freeze before roadways.

Crews are monitoring conditions and treating bridges as necessary south and east of Oklahoma City. Roadways are wet with slick spots on bridges.

Highways remain slick and hazardous in the Panhandle and northwestern Oklahoma, including Woodward and surrounding areas, and unnecessary travel is discouraged. Highways are slick and hazardous in southwestern and western Oklahoma, including the I-40 corridor.

In northeastern Oklahoma, highways are wet and crews are monitoring conditions. 

ODOT says Highway 31 is closed west of McAlester and Highway 63 is shut down between Haileyville and Kiowa.

Pittsburg County Emergency Management Director Kevin Enloe says several county roads also are flooded, mainly at low-water crossings, and said more flooding is expected in the days ahead.

Enloe says there have been no reports of injuries or stranded motorists.

The National Weather Service in Tulsa also has issued a flood warning for Mayes, northern Okmulgee, Rogers Ottawa, Nowata, Delaware, Wagoner, Creek, Tulsa and Craig counties. That is effect until 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Seven people were rescued from vehicles in floodwaters in separate incidents at the same intersection near Afton in Ottawa County.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Afton firefighters say three small children and two women were rescued from their car about 2 p.m. Friday after the car was swept into a creek at the intersection of two county roads.

The five were taken to a hospital where they were treated and released.

11/27/2015 Related Story: OHP, Firefighters Rescue Women, Children Stuck In Submerged Car

Troopers and firefighters rescued two more people at the same intersection shortly after 4 p.m. The OHP says neither was injured and declined transport to a hospital.

Areas west of Tulsa in Pawnee and Osage County are flirting with freezing temperatures, including some freezing drizzle at times. The National Weather Service of Tulsa said ice accumulations are expected through Friday night west of a line from Pawhuska to Pawnee.

Flood, Freezing Rain Warnings Issued For Counties In Eastern Oklahoma

In Custer County, snow and sleet are causing hazardous road conditions, and in other parts of western Oklahoma bridges are slick due to freezing rain, including I-40 corridor.

The following counties are experiencing slick highways due to freezing rain: Caddo, Comanche, Cotton and Grady.

ODOT says roadways are mostly slick on bridges in Garfield, Grant and Kingfisher counties as well as Canadian County in the western part of the Oklahoma City metro area. They say crews are treating this area and  monitoring other north-central and central Oklahoma areas.

If travel is a must, ODOT advises drivers to be cautious, especially on bridges, overpasses and when exiting highways.  The say that drivers should not try to pass road clearing trucks, and that they should stay at least 200 ft. behind them.

Drivers should check weather conditions before traveling.

News On 6 Forecast Page

Check Oklahoma Road Conditions