Most of the state is under an extreme cold warning from Tuesday evening through mid-day Thursday, with sub-0 wind chills Tuesday and Wednesday night. Northeastern Oklahoma is also under a winter storm warning overnight Tuesday.
The National Weather Service expects precipitation over the coming days, ranging from mostly snow in Northern Oklahoma to mostly rain down south.
The Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management is gearing up its Stranded Motorist Recovery Team in northeastern Oklahoma, which is projected to receive nearly a foot of snow.
The Southwest Power Pool has put out a Resource Advisory for most of this week. That advisory warns of potential threats to grid reliability but doesn’t require any action from utilities customers.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond says his office will monitor the natural gas market in hopes of avoiding the price surges that slammed Oklahoma utilities during 2021’s Winter Storm Uri.
It’s a good idea to keep phones charged and have emergency supplies on hand, especially for people planning to drive.
Here are tips and resources from the office of Gov. Kevin Stitt:
For Drivers:
- Equip your vehicle with emergency supplies such as blankets, water, a flashlight and mobile phone charger.
- Stay at least 200 feet behind road-clearing equipment and avoid passing; crews need room to operate safely.
- Make sure everyone in the vehicle is buckled up.
- Allow extra space between vehicles to ensure safe braking distances.
- Watch for black ice, which can appear as wet spots on the road but is a thin layer of ice.
- Plan trips ahead, be patient, and allow extra time to reach your destination.
Additional Recommendations and Resources:
- Check on friends, family, and neighbors, especially the elderly, disabled, or those living alone.
- Monitor weather updates through trusted sources, including local news.
- View live road conditions here or look for road conditions on the Drive Oklahoma mobile app.
Social Media Feeds for Further Updates:
- Oklahoma National Guard
- Department of Emergency Management
- Oklahoma Department of Transportation
- Oklahoma Highway Patrol/DPS
Here are OKC Utilities’ tips for protecting your pipes from freezing while also conserving water:
Indoors:
- The only faucets that should be dripping are those along exterior-facing walls.
- Only a small, steady drip or stream no wider than a pencil lead is needed. (Check out our how-to video.)
- If your faucet has a hot and cold handle, open both to mid-flow, then simultaneously reduce both to a small flow until you reach a “pencil lead” stream. If your faucet has a single handle, position the handle in the middle to allow both hot and cold water to drip.
- Open cabinet doors in the kitchen and bathrooms to allow warm air to circulate underneath and keep pipes warmer.
- If you have a basement or crawl space, wrap exposed water pipes to insulate them against freezing. This can also help prevent water waste by keeping water in the pipes warmer.
- If you notice your pipes are frozen, use your home’s shut-off valve to shut off water to your home and allow the pipes to thaw.
Outdoors:
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor water spigots with a foam insulator or other cover.
- Wrap and cover sprinkler backflow devices.
- Turn off your sprinkler system or set it to manual and make sure it is not scheduled to run while temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Do not let sprinkler systems run during freezing temperatures.
