Winter Storm Knocks Out Power To At Least 95,000 Oklahomans

(AP/KOTV) -- A second wave of wintry precipitation pounded Oklahoma Saturday, blanketing roads and bridges with ice and knocking out power to thousands of residents.<br/><br/>The winter storm dumped snow,

Saturday, January 13th 2007, 6:37 am

By: News On 6

(AP/KOTV) -- A second wave of wintry precipitation pounded Oklahoma Saturday, blanketing roads and bridges with ice and knocking out power to thousands of residents.

The winter storm dumped snow, freezing rain and sleet across the state, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an ice storm warning through Sunday evening, when most of the precipitation was expected to move east and northeast of Oklahoma, said Ty Judd, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Norman.

"These are actually thunderstorms with frozen precipitation," Judd said. "And it looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better."

A third wave of storms is expected to pass through overnight and early Sunday, Judd said.

The National Weather Service said an ice storm warning will remain in effect through early Monday for southwestern, central and eastern Oklahoma. A winter storm warning remains in effect through Sunday evening for the Oklahoma Panhandle and northwestern Oklahoma.

Forecasters said about 1 inch of sleet and snow is expected in western and central Oklahoma by midday Sunday.

A flash flood watch also remained in effect through Sunday for southeastern Oklahoma, where three highways were closed Saturday because of high water. Portions of State Highway 131 in Atoka County and highways 63 and 31 in Pittsburg County all were shut down Saturday because of flood conditions, the Department of Transportation reported.

At least three traffic deaths were linked to the storms, including an El Reno woman killed early Saturday when the car she was riding in skidded off Interstate 40 and slammed into a sand truck clearing ice from the shoulder, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Roger Maddox, 56, of Blue Mound, Texas, died Friday afternoon when he lost control of his sport utility vehicle on an icy Greer County roadway, ran off the road and overturned.

Earlier Friday, a lumber truck flipped on an Interstate 44 ramp in Oklahoma City, killing the driver, troopers said.

State and local transportation crews spread sand and salt to prevent icing on bridges and overpasses, but public safety officials urged motorists to stay off the highways.

"It's kind of treacherous," said Lt. Pete Norwood, a spokesman for the patrol. "We're having a little bit of trouble getting people to stay off the roads."