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By John Dobberstein, Editor
Broken Arrow and the Tulsa metro area are girding for a winter storm that will bring snow and bone-chilling cold Thursday and Friday.
Dangerously cold wind chills expected Thursday into Thursday night behind an Arctic cold front with wind chills -20 to -30 degrees F by Friday morning. Mixed precipitation will quickly transition to snow behind the front. Total snow accumulations will generally be 1-2 inches with locally higher amounts up to 3 inches. A light glaze of ice will initially be possible due to a very brief period of freezing rain. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph can be expected.
Governor Kevin Stitt signed Executive Order 2022-34 declaring a State of Emergency for all 77 Oklahoma counties due to severe winter weather anticipated in the immediate future.
Here’s a summary of how the city of Broken Arrow will be rendering services during the storm:
Street Clearing Response
The City of Broken Arrow has 16 dump trucks equipped with snowplows and sanders ready to clear roads if needed. The Streets Division operates up to 16 trucks on 12-hour shifts, 24 hours each day during inclement weather.
Fleet mechanics are available for the trucks as needed, and the Streets department personnel will continue working on shifts throughout the weather event.
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Pre-treatment will begin before precipitation. Arterial and collector roadways and hospital and public safety are always our top priorities. We have a standby crew ready to respond to any traffic signal problems, fallen trees, and debris removal on public streets.
Warming Centers
Central Park Community Center and Nienhuis Community Center will be open until 9 p.m. and will serve as Warming Centers for the public on Thursday, on Dec. 22, (the centers are closed Friday through Monday for the holidays).
Broken Arrow Police officers and the 911 Center will work with the Broken Arrow Ministerial Alliance to help connect those who need access to warming centers or with other needs.
Solid Waste and Recycling Collection and Holiday Schedule
Sanitation service pickup is not expected to be impacted by this weather event. However, services will slide one day during the week of Dec. 26 and the week of Jan. 2 for all customers due to the holidays. City offices will also be closed on Friday, Dec. 23, Monday, Dec. 26, and Monday, Jan. 2.
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Public Works
Along with the Streets Department, the Utilities Department has crews available for emergency repairs. Report weekend, holiday, and overnight water line breaks to the Broken Arrow Police Non-Emergency line at 918-259-8400. Residents are urged not to email or send messages on any social media platforms.
Public Safety
Broken Arrow Police and Fire Departments will be running standard operating procedures.
Other City Services:
Residents can report issues on the My Broken Arrow Action Center mobile app available in the Android or Apple stores. Issues reported here are monitored during normal business hours.
Residents are also encouraged to subscribe to the City’s Robo-call emergency phone call alerts and check their accounts for any needed updates at www.brokenarrowok.gov/alerts.
Other community resources:
• For basic services such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and more, residents can call 211 or visit: https://www.211oklahoma.org/
• Power outages can be reported on PSO's website at https://www.psoklahoma.com/outages/report or 1-833-776-6884.
• Conditions of Oklahoma highways can be monitored at: okroads.or
Airport preparations
Officials at Tulsa International Airport said preparations for the for impending winter weather will start at 2 a.m. Thursday morning when airport snow crews will be on standby with equipment, ready to treat the airport’s runways and roadways as needed.
Crews will be on standby throughout the remainder of the weather event. The airport is responsible for clearing snow and ice from the airport runways, taxiways, and roadways, and each airline is responsible for deicing and preparing their aircraft.
Departing passengers and those picking up passengers for arriving flights are encouraged to confirm the status of the flight with their airline before leaving for the airport. Airlines will have the latest flight status information regarding any delays or cancelations.
Passengers are advised to carry all medication and personal items (i.e. wallet, jewelry, travel size toiletries, etc.) in their carry-on luggage to ensure their access to these items should their travel plans change. Regardless of weather, the airport terminal building will remain open. For general holiday air travel tips, visit our site here.
