City of Tulsa Prepared for Winter Weather; Response Plan and Safety Tips

(TULSA, Okla.) The City of Tulsa, Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency (TAEMA), and various community partners have mobilized resources for extreme cold temperatures and winter weather coming to Tulsa.

Extreme cold is expected to enter the area starting Monday night and continue through Friday. With wind chill values in the negative double-digits, exposure to these types of temperatures are life-threatening and can lead to frostbite and hypothermia.

During these temperatures, Tulsans are encouraged to stay inside whenever possible, check on their neighbors, and be prepared both at home and while traveling. These temperatures can also have an impact on waterline breaks and water pipes inside people’s homes. Residents are asked to take precautions now to protect their pipes, including covering all outside faucets; opening inside cabinets on outside walls; and preparing to drip inside faucets.

For additional safety tips and information about extreme cold weather, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/weather.

Getting People Inside

Outreach teams from A Way Home for Tulsa agencies are working to ensure those experiencing homelessness have knowledge of safe and warm spaces available to them.

As part of ongoing operations, two overflow shelters will open on Monday, February 17, at 2 p.m.

New overflow shelters include:

One Hope Tulsa- Rose Bowl (7419 E. 11 St.) – Operating as an overflow shelter for adults

Tulsa Dream Center (4122 W. 55 Pl.) – Serving as an overflow shelter for adults; this location is also pet-friendly

Overflow shelters will be in addition to the existing network of services available at:

Salvation Army Center of Hope (102 N. Denver Ave.) – Open 24/7

Tulsa Day Center (415 W. Archer St.) – Open 24/7, pet-friendly (limited capacity)

John 3:16 Mission (506 N. Cheyenne Ave.) – Open 24/7

Youth Services of Tulsa (311 S. Madison Ave.) – Serving youth in need of shelter

- "The Station" Warming Center open for 16-24 year olds

- Emergency Shelter open for 12-16 year olds

Denver Ave. Station (319 S. Denver Ave.) – Open Feb. 18-Feb. 20 as warming station

For the latest information on additional warming stations and emergency shelters, visit Housing Solutions’ Winter Weather Resources page.

What to Do if You Encounter Someone Unhoused and in Need of Help In an Emergency: Call 911 immediately for urgent medical or safety concerns.

Request Outreach Assistance: If someone needs help from an outreach team on-site, fill out an Outreach Request Form and someone will be sent to check on them as quickly as possible.

How You Can Help

Donate Winter Gear: Items such as clean blankets, hats, gloves, and socks are greatly needed. Donations can be made at Tulsa Day Center, 415 W. Archer.

Support Local Shelters: Monetary contributions to local shelters and outreach teams ensure quick and flexible support where it’s most needed. Check Housing Solutions’ Facebook page, @HousingSolutionsTulsa, for additional items needed. 

If you’re an organization interested in opening as an overflow shelter location during weather events, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/weather and click the “Warming Stations” drop down.

Metro Link Tulsa

In addition to opening Denver Avenue Station as a warming station, all ride fares will be FREE from Feb. 18-20.

Street Preparations

City street crews are watching the forecast and preparing to respond to winter weather on Tuesday. Initial plans are to have brine crews (crews who apply salt/water mixture to roads) treat elevated surfaces ahead of the change to all snow Tuesday afternoon. Currently, crews are scheduled to come in at midnight on Tuesday and respond until all of Tulsa’s main roads are passable. The City will make adjustments to this plan based on the most updated forecasts and additional details will be provided on Monday.

As background, the City of Tulsa is responsible for clearing snow and ice from all arterial (main) streets, but not from most major highways that pass through. The only highways the City treats are the Gilcrease Expressway (except for the Turnpike extension), and the L.L. Tisdale Expressway. All other highway segments in Tulsa (i.e. I-44, I-244, Broken Arrow Expressway, the Creek Turnpike, Highway 169, etc.) are the responsibility of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The City's snow and ice routes, in addition to the resources the City has to treat Tulsa's roads, can be found online at  www.cityoftulsa.org/winterpreparedness.  

Original Story

The City of Tulsa is monitoring the potential for winter weather to move through the area in upcoming days. Crews are prepared to respond as conditions require.

City Of Tulsa Winter Preparedness

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:

66 trucks mounted with salt spreaders

Of the 66 trucks with spreaders, 55 have mounted snowplows.

4 trucks, mounted with plows that have Liquid Applicator Systems for brine application when appropriate

7 4x4 pick-up trucks equipped with snowplows

2 motor graders for use as plows

210 employees (including drivers and support staff)

Approximately 8,000 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. Emergency response routes and additional maps are available at www.cityoftulsa.org/winterpreparedness

Warming Stations

Tulsa has several warming stations currently open for anyone seeking shelter from the cold, namely:

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 Day Center, 415 W. Archer St. - open 24-7

The City of Tulsa has been in conversations with area shelter providers. The City will provide more information should an emergency overflow shelter(s) be opened. Organizations interested in setting up a temporary station or temporary shelter can find information on the City of Tulsa website at https://www.cityoftulsa.org/residents/public-safety/temporary-shelter-policy/.

Additional Safety Tips

Check on Your Neighbors: 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 necessary, ask what errands, if any, you could help them with.

Bring Pets Inside: If it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pets. During extreme cold weather, pet owners are asked to bring their pets inside. As a reminder, in November last year the Council approved new ordinances requiring pet owners to bring their dogs into a temperature-controlled facility when the temperature is at or below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stay Informed: Download the free Tulsa Ready app, compatible with Android and iOS systems, for emergency updates and preparedness tips.

For the latest winter weather updates and road conditions, visit City of Tulsa of Facebook or learn more at www.cityoftulsa.org/weather.