TULSA, Okla. — The arctic blast moving through Thursday dropped temperatures throughout the state into the single digits — along with wind chills making it feel well below zero degrees. Light snowfall impacted drivers as well.
Shelters are opening their doors to people who need to get out of the cold, and drivers are expected to take precautions if they have to be out on the roads.
>> See the latest forecast here
2 News Oklahoma is tracking changing conditions and the impact they will have on the community:
LIVE BLOG
9:28 p.m.
AAA Oklahoma has received 876 calls for roadside rescues since midnight, and 330 just since 4 p.m. on Thursday.
9:07 p.m.
ONG repairs are in progress on restoring service in the Southwest Bixby area tonight. ONG is requesting that homes in the affected area turn on their outside lights.
8:30 p.m.
EMSA has responded to 10 more cold exposure calls resulting in five patients being taken to the hospital in the Tulsa service area.
6:47 p.m.
The City of Bixby has been notified by Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG) of a service interruption in the Southwest Bixby Area. The affected customers are between E. 161 ST. S. to E. 181 St. S. and between Yale Ave. and Sheridan Rd. ONG estimates that approximately just over 100 customers are being affected. ONG has crews on the scene working to restore service as quickly as possible.
4:31 p.m.
AAA Oklahoma received 546 calls for roadside rescues since midnight. Calls have doubled since noon on Thursday.
3 p.m.
As of 3 p.m., OG&E had about 4,200 customers without service, down from a peak of 6,400 overnight. Most outages are due to high winds that have downed power lines as well as broken cross arms and poles.
1:10 p.m.
EMSA officials responded to four cold exposure calls with two patients transported to the hospital in the Tulsa area. They also responded to 28 crashes with in six transports to the hospital – almost five times our expected response volume.
They are urging people to stay home.
12:56 p.m.
City of Tulsa suspends refuse and recycling service due to weather conditions:
"Residential refuse and recycling service has been suspended this afternoon due to the extreme cold and icy conditions. The haulers will make every attempt to service your home as soon s it’s safe to do so. Thank you for your patience."
12:23 p.m.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released details on what's they've responded to so far Thursday.
- Abandoned Vehicles - 5
- Driving Under the Influence - 1
- Fatality Collisions - 2
- Hit and Run Collisions - 2
- Injury Collisions - 54
- Motorist Assists - 66
- Non-Injury Collisions - 247
11 a.m.
AAA reports 274 calls for roadside rescues since midnight.
9:12 a.m.
The City of Tulsa is updating conditions during this arctic weather.
- Street crews worked Wednesday applying brine (water/salt mixture) on bridges, hills and other elevated surfaces.
- Morning shift crews reported to work at 3 a.m. Thursday morning and are treating the roadways, elevated surfaces and slick spots with salt.
- Later this afternoon and evening, night shift street personnel will apply additional brine to the roads as needed.
- All winter weather streets crews will be on standby through Sunday.
- Bulky waste pickup is delayed until Friday. On Friday, Thursday bulky waste collections and half of Friday bulky waste collections will occur. And on Monday, the rest of Friday bulky waste collections and all of Monday bulky waste collections will be picked up.
- Refuse and recycling crews are continuing to work as long as they can safely do so. If your cart isn’t picked up at its normally scheduled time, it’s asked you leave it at the curb and be patient as crews work to safely get through their routes.
- The City’s Development Services department suspended inspections today. Only emergency gas inspections for pulled meters will occur.
- All Municipal Court hearings scheduled for Thursday are being moved to January 10, 2023, for anyone unable to get to the courthouse safely.
- As a reminder, City Hall, Municipal Court and other City facilities will be closed Friday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Dec. 26, for the Christmas holiday.
7:48 a.m.
Tulsa police are on Operation Slick streets.
7:41 a.m.
"Due to the drastic deterioration of the weather and its expected impacts to the roads, Tulsa County is delaying opening of the Courthouse, HQ, and all other facilities today until 10am."
"Due to inclement weather, all Tulsa Health Department locations will be closed today, Thursday, December 22nd."
7:18 a.m.
OHP is urging drivers to drive carefully.
We are working numerous crashes like this one all over the metro area; involving single vehicles. Drivers are traveling too fast for the road conditions and spin off the roadway. Please take it slow if you have to get out this morning. And remember to dress warmly! pic.twitter.com/dFFVQ22xuH
— OK Highway Patrol/DPS (@OHPDPS) December 22, 2022
7:01 a.m.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol closes westbound lanes of I-44 near Catoosa after a semi-truck jack knifes.
6:52 a.m.
PSO is prepared to deal with any power outages that pop up because of the weather.
Wayne Green with PSO told 2 News "We're prepared for whatever weather throws at us." He said there are 550 workers ready to respond.
WATCH: FULL PSO interview:
He also urged customers to make sure cell phones are charged and download the PSO app to report and track any outages that pop up.
6:22 a.m.
Road conditions are slick across Green Country. 2 News found this semi-truck crash on I-44 near Catoosa. First responders on the scene. Avoid the area, if possible.
12/22 - 6:00 a.m.
Winter weather is here! A light mix of wintry weather with intense gusty winds is moving across Green Country.
Road conditions vary, including slick spots and icy patches. Take precautions and avoid driving if you can.
12/21 - 9:32 p.m.
Tulsa Housing Solutions worked with other agencies and volunteers to set up a new warming station as others in the area filled before the winter storm moved in.
MORE >>> Housing Solutions opens warming station to bridge gap ahead of winter storm
12/21 - 8:21 p.m.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order, declaring a State of Emergency ahead of the winter storm
The executive order impacts all 77 counties in the state, suspending regulations that would otherwise hinder emergency relief and power restoration if needed.
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