Posted on 01/27/2010 5:38:55 PM PST by Star Traveler
Posted 01/27/10 7:46 pm
Producer: Natalie Andes
Channel 8 News - Tulsa
Tulsa - A winter storm warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Thursday through noon Friday for eastern Oklahoma as a powerful winter storm is expected to bring freezing rain, ice and heavy snow to the area over the next 48 to 72 hours.
The storm warning is in effect for Adair, Cherokee, Creek, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington counties.
The storm, currently over the desert southwest, will move east and begin to affect western Oklahoma during the day Wednesday. It will then move into eastern Oklahoma by late Wednesday and early Thursday morning.
In eastern Oklahoma, it will begin as a cold rain early Thursday, but will change over to freezing rain and sleet during the late morning as colder air filters in from the north.
The area is expected to see the heaviest of the ice is a line from Oklahoma City to Tulsa to Pryor to Springdale, Arkansas. Those areas could see from a quarter of an inch to as much as three quarters of an inch or more of ice accumulation by Friday morning.
Because of the ice threat, power outages will be a threat. If you live in that area, you should prepare now for the possibility of being without power for an extended period of time. Travel delays of all types are also likely, so plan ahead and if you don't need to travel, by all means stay inside.
To the north of that line, a mixture of freezing rain and sleet is expected that could quickly accumulate on elevated surfaces like bridges, trees and power lines. By late Thursday night, the freezing rain and sleet will transition to heavy snow from Tulsa to the north and west.
The snow will spread south and east and cover most of eastern Oklahoma by Friday morning.
Snowfall totals of up to a foot could be expected near the Oklahoma/Kansas state line. The Tulsa area will likely see between two to four inches while south of I-44, look for one or two inches possible.
Areas south of McAlester could see some light snow or freezing rain, but should miss out on the worst of the storm.
The storm system is expected to stay in the area through Friday night and possibly into Saturday morning. Expect much colder temperatures Friday night and Saturday morning with lows reaching into the single digits. The cold will stay in place through Sunday morning before temperatures rebound above freezing Sunday afternoon.
Last Update: 8:12 pm
As many as 800 crews are on their way to Tulsa to help with potential power outages in anticipation of Thursday's winter storm. It's part of an effort by PSO to prevent or minimize power outages.
Since the 2007 ice storm, PSO has stepped up its effort to remove limbs that endanger power lines, so when the next storm hits the damage would be minimized.
"You really can't do anything in just a day or two to prepare for a storm. It's what you do year round that prepares your system to withstand whatever Mother Nature sends its way. And our efforts have been year round," says PSO Spokesperson Stan Whiteford.
He says the company is also working to bring in reinforcements. As many as 700 additional crews are on standby in others states, ready to head to Oklahoma if needed. That would bring the total number of power crews to around 1,500 by this weekend should that be necessary.
"We want to try and get a handle on this as quickly as possible, by going ahead, getting some of those outside resources. We believe we can do that. Hopefully that will better position us for what lies ahead," says Whiteford.
The first round of crews will stage at hotels in Tulsa, Lawton, Okmulgee and McAlester, so they can deploy to where they are needed once power outages begin.
If the disaster grows to the same level as the 2007 ice storm, power crews from across the country will use the Tulsa fairgrounds as a staging area, just as they did three years ago.
PSO will constantly update its website, so customers without electricity can follow the recovery effort by using the web browser on their cell phones. PSO will even send updates via Facebook and Twitter.
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