The City of Tulsa is monitoring and preparing for extremely cold temperatures expected to hit the metro later this week.
With snowfall anticipated and extremely cold temperatures with high winds, weather conditions will present life-threatening conditions.
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.
Despite these closures, public safety and mission critical operations, including snow and ice response operations, will operate as normal. Residents who need assistance with a water or sewer problem may call the following 24-hour emergency numbers: water – (918) 596-9488, and sewer – (918) 596-6999.
Warming Stations and Safe Housing
Three warming stations are open in Tulsa for individuals and families seeking shelter from the cold.
Local shelters will offer shelter-in-place services, meaning those who visit their shelter will be able to stay there throughout the duration of the event.
Housing Solutions outreach teams are working with those experiencing homelessness by working to move them into shelters before the winter weather event. If you see someone in need of safe and warm housing, you can fill out a Housing Solutions Homeless Street Outreach Request online at https://www.housingsolutionstulsa.org/assistance-request/.
If you have volunteers or a facility available for additional warming stations, please contact Housing Solutions at (918) 322-9922.
Travel and Utility Systems Risk
While this event is not anticipated as being as widespread or long-lasting as the February 2021 cold snap, the City urges everyone to review their winter weather plan and prepare for inclement conditions to impact travel heading into the weekend.
A few tips to protect yourself, others and your property are as follows:
Freezing Water Safety
Residents should STAY OFF freezing bodies of water, as the ice will not be thick enough to safely support someone. Parents should take extra caution to ensure children are not trying to play on things like frozen pools, ponds, lakes and streams. Things like ice fishing and ice skating are not safe in these conditions on bodies of water that have just frozen over.
Check On the Elderly
Don’t wait for your elderly family members or neighbors to ask for help. Be proactive and ask what you can do to help. Call or check in on them to make sure they have adequate and safe heating sources in their home. If absolutely necessary, ask what errands, if any, you could help them with.
Snow and ice-covered driveways often present a slipping hazard, so helping your neighbors get their mail is advised, as well as helping them shovel any snow accumulation off of their driveways.
Check Your Smoke Detectors
The Tulsa Fire Department is asking residents to check their smoke detectors to ensure they are operating properly. It’s also recommended residents purchase and install a Carbon Monoxide detector if they do not currently have one, as many heaters run off of natural gas.
Space Heater & Heating Safety
Though space heaters can be useful, they can be very dangerous if not utilized in a safe manner.
Space heater usage guidelines:
• Keep it at least 3 feet from all combustible items
• Plug it directly into the wall without using extension cords
• Only one heater should be plugged into each outlet
• Only utilize electric space heaters – no gas-fueled heaters should be utilized indoors
• Never leave a space heater unattended (children and pets can easily knock them over causing fires)
Please do not use ovens or stoves as heating devices, especially appliances that utilize gas. These can create a carbon monoxide danger in your home.
Generator Safety
In the event of a power outage and you plan to use a portable generator, the generator should always be operated on the exterior of your home. It is important to keep them away from windows or any other places that would facilitate the fumes entering your home.
Water Pipe Preparedness
To protect your water pipes from extreme cold, you should:
• Turn your faucets in a position that allows them to slowly drip consistently
• Open cabinet doors below faucets allowing warm air to contact the pipes - this is especially important for faucets located on walls that are on the outside perimeter of your home
• If you normally store cleaning supplies in these cabinets, it’s important to relocate them to a safe storage spot that children and pets cannot access
• If you have a sprinkler system, either switch it to manual or follow your sprinkler system’s winterization guidelines
Additional tips on protecting your water pipes can be found online.
Cold Weather Pet Safety
Frigid temperatures also pose serious threats to animals’ health. Both pets and livestock can be at risk. These tips will keep your animal’s comfort and safety top of mind during the cold weather event.
Provide adequate shelter
Don’t keep pets outside for long periods of time in below-freezing temperatures, but if you are unable to keep your dog inside during cold weather, provide him/her with a warm, solid shelter against wind. Make sure that they have unlimited access to fresh, non-frozen water (by changing the water frequently or using a pet-safe, heated water bowl). The floor of the shelter should be off the ground and the bedding should be thick, dry, and changed regularly to provide a warm, dry environment. The door to the shelter should be positioned away from prevailing winds. Space heaters and heat lamps should be avoided because of the risk of burns or fire.
Stay inside
Cats and dogs should be kept inside during cold weather. Like people, cats and dogs are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia and should be kept inside. If your dog has a short coat or seems bothered by the cold, consider a sweater or dog coat.
Inspect/wipe their Paws
Check your dog’s paws frequently for signs of cold-weather injury or damage, such as cracked paw pads or bleeding. During walks, your dog’s feet, legs, and belly may pick up deicers, antifreeze, or other chemicals that could be toxic. When you get back inside, wipe down your pet’s feet, legs, and belly to remove these chemicals and reduce the risk that your dog will be poisoned after they lick their feet or fur.
Collar and chip
Many pets become lost in winter because snow and ice can hide recognizable scents that might normally help your pet find his/her way home. Make sure your pet has a well-fitting collar and up-to-date identification and contact information.
City’s Snow/Ice Response
The City of Tulsa is responsible for clearing snow and ice from the Gilcrease Expressway (except for the Turnpike section), L.L. Tisdale Expressway, and all arterial (main) streets. Other highway segments in Tulsa are the responsibility of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
After a snow or ice storm begins, the goal is to make expressways and arterial streets safe and passable as soon as possible. These resources are available to attain this goal:
Crews are assigned to 36 specific routes totaling approximately 1,770 lane-miles, which is approximately the same distance as driving from Tulsa to San Francisco. Spreading and plowing routes are prioritized based on traffic counts. Once the main streets are cleared and conditions permit, selected residential streets may be treated based on traffic and steepness.
During winter weather response, the first focus is to clear city arterial streets for emergency responders. After arterial streets are clear, the second focus moves to residential or collector streets near hospitals, schools, and steep hills. The following link includes every map and route the City uses for arterial streets, collector streets, schools, and steep hills: www.cityoftulsa.org/winterpreparedness.
City Service Updates
Refuse and recycling operations, which are not affected by the City holiday, are expected to continue as normal. If the cold becomes an issue on Friday for the City’s recycling haulers, residents are asked to leave their blue recycling can at the curb and it will be collected on Monday should the haulers have to pause their routes on Friday for cold safety reasons.
Tulsa Parks Event Cancellations and Closures
There is a chance Tulsa Parks may adjust its class and event schedules. Follow @TulsaParks on Facebook for the latest updates on Parks operations.
Weather Information and Disaster Planning
Want to receive updates on emergency weather information and create a disaster plan for your family? Download the free Tulsa Ready app, compatible with Android and iOS systems.
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