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Tulsa Winter Weather Update Feb. 17 – 10:30 a.m.

2/17/2021
This article was archived on 3/7/2021

Following the overnight snow and additional snow coming in this morning, crews are continuing to group plow roads and will apply salt later today when the snow tapers off. 

Though some roads are snow packed, they are drivable at this time. It’s asked drivers practice extra caution if they have to be out, and stay at least 150 feet back from snow plows (roughly the same distance from a football field’s goal line to the 50 yard line).

Business owners and contractors plowing private lots should find a designated spot to place the snow. It’s asked snow from places like parking lots and sidewalks not be plowed into the street, as this makes the City’s job harder.

Waterline Break Updates

Thirty-five crews (14 City crews and 21 contract crews) are in the field working to address waterline breaks today.

As of this morning, there were more than 123 breaks affecting roughly 600 residences and nine businesses.

As operations continue today to repair these breaks, the number of service interruptions are expected to increase. Typically, 6-inch breaks in residential neighborhoods take 4-6 hours to repair, but due to the amount of breaks in Tulsa, the amount of time until service is fully restored could take longer.

It’s asked residents try to conserve water if possible. To help conserve, you can delay running bathtubs, dishwashers and washing machines – additionally, you can try to take shorter showers.

Crews are working in difficult conditions, but fortunately there have not been any incidents at this time. Please give crews enough room to operate and be careful if you see orange cones and other traffic devices in the road, as many are being used around the water main breaks while crews work.

TPD Update

If you see an emergency vehicle with its emergency lights on, move over and slow down. Now is not the time to be overconfident in your driving abilities, as road conditions can change quickly

Tulsa Fire Update

Tulsa Fire continues to respond to a large amount of broken pipe calls at residences.

The extreme cold can freeze your water pipes, so it’s important to stay aware and take steps to protect your pipes and your property. With the potential for power outages, it’s more important than ever to ensure the integrity of your home’s water system. 

To protect your water pipes from extreme cold, you should:

If water is not flowing out of your pipes, you should:

Additional tips on protecting your water pipes can be found online.

Refuse & Recycling Update

City crews are working to catch up on refuse collection. There will be no bulky waste or recycling services through the end of the week. Bulky waste and recycling services are expected to resume on Monday, Feb. 22.

If it is your regular service day, it’s asked you put your gray trash bin on the curb. Backyard customers should also bring their carts to the curb, as many gates are inaccessible because of the snow.

If your bin was missed on your normal service day, please keep it on the curb until it is picked up. With the weather conditions, it’s asked residents be flexible and patient during this time. The City will make every attempt to get caught up once weather conditions improve.

Customers who have extra trash that will not fit inside the refuse bin can place a reasonable amount of bagged trash outside and next to their gray trash cart without a sticker. Only trash, not recycling, should be placed in your gray trash cart or in bags on the curb.

Additionally, the City of Tulsa Mulch Site is also closed until further notice. Illegal dumping and dead animal pickup is not being collected this week (unless it is on the roadway) – collection for those services is expected to resume on Monday, Feb. 22.

Household Pollutant Collection Facility Updates

The City’s household pollutant collection facility will be closed today due to the weather. The facility is expected to open again this Saturday when the weather improves.

Municipal Courts Update

Tulsa Municipal Court will be open today. Anyone who is unable to make it court will have their case automatically passed one week to Wed., Feb 24. No warrants will be issued for failure to appear tomorrow.

City Clerk Updates

The City Clerk’s Office will not have any in-person services today. Citizens can still contact staff, who will be working remotely, by calling (918) 596-7513 or by emailing [email protected]. Please be patient, as services and response times will be temporarily limited as a result of this closure.

Tulsa Parks Updates

Tulsa Parks community centers will be closed today due to winter weather. Additionally, Oxley Nature Center and other specialty center will be closed tomorrow. Student Support Camps, which serve students who are practicing distance learning at various community centers, will be closed through the end of the week.

Tulsa Animal Welfare Update

Tulsa Animal Welfare (TAW) will be closed to the public today due to inclement weather. TAW officers will respond to emergency calls only, such as cruelty and bite calls. There are no appointments to see animals today, except for residents needing to drop off animals for an emergency. In the case of such an emergency, please call TAW at (918) 596-8001.

If Power Outages Occur

Though PSO has not announced the need for controlled outages today, residents are asked to be prepared in case the ask is made. 

If an outage occurs, the City’s critical infrastructure, such as 911 and police and fire dispatch will remain unaffected. City utilities are also not affected.

Traffic lights will be affected. If you have to be driving, please practice caution and go slow when approaching intersections, as affected stoplights will be black. Treat these stoplights as four-way stops.

Unless there is a life threatening emergency, please do not call 911 if your power goes out. It’s asked you wait the power outage out in the steps listed below. For an updated power outage map from PSO, visit: https://www.psoklahoma.com/outages/   

A list of safety tips during power outages can be found at: https://www.cityoftulsa.org/press-room/power-safety-and-outage-tips/