Nature turns snow machine on high over Oklahoma

<small>Editor's Note: For complete up to the minute road and weather information, stay tuned to KOTV Channel 6.</small><br><br>With more people than usual lined up for food and a warm place to sleep,

Wednesday, January 26th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Editor's Note: For complete up to the minute road and weather information, stay tuned to KOTV Channel 6.

With more people than usual lined up for food and a warm place to sleep, it seemed like the biggest problem Oklahoma City homeless shelter employees faced was having enough space to accommodate those wandering in from the biggest snowstorm in years. But Jesus House director Jan Mercer and her workers found that just opening the doors Wednesday didn't mean the homeless would come to them.

Jesus House employees joined off-duty Oklahoma County sheriff's deputies in a search of abandoned buildings and under bridges for homeless people. "Some of them are so mentally ill and anti-social that it is difficult to communicate with them," Mercer said. "All we can do is leave them with some hot coffee and food."

While shelter employees and emergency service workers ventured out into the elements, other Oklahomans retreated to the safety of home as the first round of an intense storm system arrived earlier than expected. The entire state was in line for frozen precipitation, but nature's snow machine turned on high across central sections. At least 6 inches of snow blanketed Oklahoma City and communities surrounding it Wednesday.

At Will Rogers World Airport, 5.5 inches was reported, the most since January 1988, when 12.1 inches fell over a two-day period. Near Oklahoma City, 7 inches of snow was reported in the tiny community of Stella; 5 inches was reported in Norman, El Reno and Enid, and 4 inches were reported in Guthrie and Watonga. More was possible today as the second and biggest storm was expected to hit before dawn, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasters predicted that central Oklahoma could receive between 8 and 14 inches of snow by tonight, with 4 to 8 inches possible in northern sections. Lesser amounts of snow are possible in southern Oklahoma, but that part of the state, as well as northern Texas, could see a significant accumulation of ice.

With several hundred accidents reported across the state, authorities were encouraging motorists to stay off the roads. Many schools, including colleges and universities, were closed today because of driving conditions that deteriorated overnight when snowfall re-froze on pavements.

Despite the conditions, a spokesman in the operations office at Will Rogers Airport said the runway was open for arriving and departing planes Wednesday night. At Tulsa International Airport, conditions on Wednesday evening were good and airlines reported few delays, said Mike Weatherford, security coordinator. "The runways are fairly clear with just a little slush on the runway and good braking action so the airlines are able to get out of the airport, OK," Weatherford said.

A small private airplane wasn't so lucky. The plane crashed while taking off from Downtown Airpark at midday Wednesday and the portions of the plane ended up on railroad tracks and bounced into a sand pile south of the runway. Police Capt. Charles Allen said pilot Randol Newman and co-pilot Kraig Riggs, both from California, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

The University of Oklahoma canceled a convocation scheduled to honor Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu, the former South African Archbishop. OU students got to eat the 775 beef Wellingtons and liver pate in puff pastry that had been prepared for a dinnermarking Tutu's visit. It was not known early today whether schools across northeastern Oklahoma would close. Officials would be out early today checking road conditions before announcing by 6 a.m. whether to cancel classes.

Meanwhile, homeless shelters had to deal with many more people because of the snow. On Wednesday, more than 200 people lined up for a hot breakfast outside the City Rescue Mission, 20 times more than typical, officials said. By midmorning, all available cots were taken and mattresses were put on the floor to accommodate the increased demand, said shelter employee Laneta Watson. When employees at the Jesus House weren't trying to deliver food and coffee to homeless people, they were dealing with a broken boiler that gave off no heat. Still, more than 100 people came to escape the heavy snowfall and have coffee and a warm meal. "I think the hardest part is that we have so many people inhere, (and) they are starting to get on each others' nerves," Ms. Mercer said.

Other central Oklahoma residents who stayed indoors and ordered take-out food had a long wait. The snow slowed delivery times for a Pizza Hut in Norman to 75minutes, but the restaurant was getting more take-out orders than usual, said Jamin Padgett, the shift manager. Delivery times are usually about 35 minutes. "Anytime the weather gets bad, we get more," Ms. Padgett said. Arrow Wrecker Service of Oklahoma City fielded about twice the number of calls as usual Wednesday, said Vanita Muzny, who manages the terminal with her husband, Al Muzny. Arrow's wreckers spent the day pulling motorists out of ditches, but hadn't worked accidents with serious injuries, Ms. Muzny said.

Western, northern and northeastern Oklahoma escaped the early storm on Wednesday Henryetta reported 31/2 inches of snow; Stillwater and Antlers reported 3 inches; Woodward had very little and Clinton saw no snow at all, officials said. Linda Morris, a dispatcher for the Stillwater Police Department, said police worked a few minor accidents in the morning. "But this afternoon and evening we really haven't done much," she said late Wednesday.