Oklahoma Digging Out Of Marathon Winter Storm

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- The snow has left Oklahoma but a residue of slick streets, ice and snow remains. Green Country is all white Saturday as snow fell nearly all day on Friday. 

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EMSA Winter Weather Update: Saturday, January 30 -- 8 p.m.

Saturday evening saw slushy streets turn icy. As temperatures dropped Saturday, wet roads began refreezing – resulting in an increase in motor vehicle crashes across the Tulsa area.

Between 5-8 p.m. Saturday, EMSA paramedics responded to 19 wrecks on Tulsa area roadways. Eight of the 19 occurred on US-169, and another four on the Broken Arrow Expressway. Emergency Medical Technician Gary Bullock, who ended his shift at 5 p.m., said he witnessed "about ten" wrecks on his way from EMSA's north Tulsa headquarters to his home in far south Tulsa. Bullock likened conditions on the Broken Arrow Expressway and US-169 to an ice skating rink. Travel is strongly discouraged.

One wreck, which occurred about 6 p.m., involved a car leaving the roadway and crashing onto a porch in north Tulsa. No one inside the home was injured. EMSA paramedics transported the driver, a 31-year-old man, to St. John Medical Center in fair condition.

Also on Saturday, EMSA paramedics treated an 11-year-old girl hurt in a sledding accident. She suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to OSU Medical Center.

Between midnight and 8 p.m. Saturday, EMSA responded to a total of 188 emergency medical calls (including calls in no way related to the weather) in the Tulsa area and transported 126 patients to area hospitals. Included in the 188 calls were 38 motor vehicle crashes (with 10 of the 38 patients needing hospital care) and 10 falls (8 of the 10 patients transported).

Individuals planning to travel on Sunday morning should be extremely cautious, as driveways, sidewalks and parking lots are expected to be very slick. Heavily-traveled sledding routes will likely turn into ice chutes overnight, making outdoor play particularly dangerous.

ODOT Road Conditions Update Saturday, January 30 -- 9 p.m.

ODOT crews report progress in clearing state highways throughout the day but are now treating spots throughout the state that have refrozen due to nighttime temperatures. Crews continue to work around the clock in most areas of the state.

Interstates and major highways are passable with traffic moving at near normal speeds. However, bridges and overpasses remain areas of concern for the accumulation of ice and "black ice," which appears deceptively like water but is actually frozen. Ramps also remain rough in some areas as crews initially focus on driving lanes. Caution is advised in these areas. In much of the state, rural highway remain patchy and slick in spots.

Crews now report that highways are clear in Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Cotton, Craig, northern Delaware, Haskell, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Ottawa, Sequoyah and Tillman counties. In Mayes County, US-69 and US-412 are clear, as are US-169 and US-60 in Nowata County.

Although daytime conditions aided in road clearing efforts, drivers should be alert for patches that have refrozen with overnight temperatures. Drivers should be alert for the possibility of refreezing even in counties in which highways have been cleared.

Drivers are reminded to stay at least 200 feet behind road-clearing equipment, for both their safety and the safety of the operators. During snow and/or ice conditions, motorists are asked to:

• Be aware that conditions are continually changing; drive cautiously and for the conditions on the roadway.
• Check road conditions before getting out on the roads.
• Stay at least 200 feet behind road-clearing equipment; crews need room to maneuver and can engage plowing or spreading materials without notice.
• Allow extra space between vehicles, so there is adequate distance for braking in wet and icy conditions.
• Be aware of "black ice," which looks wet on the roadway, but is actually a thin layer of ice.
• Be patient, plan trips ahead and allow extra time to reach destinations.

To check CURRENT ROAD CONDITIONS, call the Department of Public Safety's ROAD CONDITIONS HOTLINE at 888-425-2385.

Out-of-State Road Conditions:

• Arkansas 800-245-1672
• Colorado 303-639-1111
• Kansas 866-511-5368
• Missouri 800-222-6400
• New Mexico 800-432-4269
• Oklahoma 888-425-2385
• Texas 800-452-9292

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