City of Tulsa Winter Weather Update – Jan. 30, 9:20 a.m.

1/30/2023

The City of Tulsa is responding to winter weather.  

City of Tulsa street crews came in at midnight and applied brine (salt/water mix) on the roads, focusing on hills and overpasses. During the day, they have turned their focus to intersections. 

Four warming stations are open in Tulsa for individuals and families seeking shelter from the cold: 

• John 3:16 Mission, 506 N. Cheyenne Ave.: open 24-7. 
• The Salvation Army Center of Hope, 102 N. Denver Ave.: open 24-7. 
• Tulsa County Emergency Shelter, 2401 Charles Page Blvd.: open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. 
• Tulsa Day Center, 415 W. Archer St.: open 24-7 

Refuse & Recycling Updates
City of Tulsa crews and haulers are still providing refuse and recycling services and will continue to monitor conditions throughout the day. The East Tulsa and Central MET depots are closed today due to weather conditions.  

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:

• 63 truck-mounted salt spreaders 
• 4 truck-mounted Liquid Applicator Systems for brine application when appropriate.  
• 53 truck-mounted snowplows (Of the 63 trucks with spreaders, and 4 trucks with Liquid Applicator Systems.) 
• 7 4x4 pick-up trucks equipped with snowplows.  
• 3 motor graders for use as plows. 
• 210 employees (including drivers and support staff) 
• Approximately 10,500 tons of salt and still receiving material 
• 2 salt brine mixing systems with 40,000 gallons of salt brine 

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.