Well, hope you made it into work OK this morning. I did, and while I rarely make an appearance on the KOCO.com weather blog (Ryan from KOCO.com), I thought a winter weather day might be a good reason.
Here’s what I’m thinking. A lot of information comes into the newsroom on a day like this, and only some of it ever sees the light of day in terms of a “written story.” Nevertheless, on a day like this, I suspect those of you at home or at work would like to be privy to information we have, information that could help your commute or keep you safe.
So, I’ll post what I can right here throughout the day. Just keep coming back to this page, and I’ll update it. Please let us know if it’s helpful. First and foremost, Oklahoma City police are only working injury accidents. If you have a wreck, and nobody is hurt, pull to the side of the road and exchange information.
Be safe, and if you have a report, e-mail us at weather@koco.com, and I’ll try to get it added.
7 p.m. — Just wanted to thank everyone who stopped by today and read our live weather blog. Be sure to check the weather blog for posts from our First Alert Storm Team — and if weather or travel conditions get treacherous again, we’ll do another live blog.
In the meantime, send us any recommendations you have for things to include in the next live blog. E-mail us at weather@koco.com, and I assure you we’ll take a look at it.
For your first taste of what the Wednesday morning commute will be like, tune in to Eyewitness News 5 at 10 and then to Eyewitness News 5 In The Morning, which starts at 5 a.m.
And, be sure to check the KOCO.com home page on winter weather days for resources such as road conditions and closings.
5:58 p.m. — Report of a crash, a car going into a wall, at Northwest 10th and Eagle … No word on injuries.
5:35 p.m. — Rick’s Tuesday night forecast. Get it while it’s hot …
5:24 p.m. — From scanner traffic: Wreck reported along NE10th Street.
4:42 p.m. — ODOT has released it’s latest road conditions update for the state. You can get that right here
4:06 p.m. — The latest advisories from the National Weather Service are out, and they don’t really involve central or western Oklahoma at the moment.
A “special weather statement” was released for far southeastern Oklahoma, warning primarily of the possibility of more freezing drizzle across portions of the region tonight and patchy dense fog. However, for east- north-central and southeastern Oklahoma, a Winter Weather Advisory has now been extended until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
In Oklahoma, this includes the following counties: Pushmataha, Choctaw, Osage, Washington, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, Pawnee, Tulsa, Rogers, Mayes, Delaware, Creek, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair, Muskogee, McIntosh, Sequoyah, Pittsburg, Haskell, Latimer and Lefore.
4:02 p.m. — Just talked with Rick Mitchell about the prospects for a messy commute on Wednesday morning, and here’s the gist of what he said: It’s not likely, but we can’t rule out another period or two of light freezing drizzle, “just enough to have problems on area roads.”
Rick said, “I’d recommend people set their alarms a little early just in case roads happen to be bad.”
That would include me.
3:42 p.m. — The Oklahoma Dept. of Safety “road conditions” map has the Oklahoma City metro area back at “normal conditions.”
Still have not heard reports of any wrecks, indicating that the DPS analysis is probably spot on, that folks are driving defensively and … uh … that rush hour hasn’t started! If there are any problem spots come 5 p.m., I’ll update this blog. Just hit the ‘F5′ key to refresh this page.
3:21 p.m. — OKC official Kristy Yager says a full roads crew is on duty from now through rush hour. About 25 trucks are out, but streets are clear and dry for the most part. About 12 crews will be on overnight checking bridges and overpasses.
If you see city trucks out and about, please give them room!
2:56 p.m. — Chris Caldwell reports from northern Oklahoma that roads are still pretty slick in the Ponca City area.
2:30 p.m. — Quick update from Rick on winter weather and road conditions throughout central Oklahoma. Link: Rick’s 2:30 p.m. Weather Cut-In
2 p.m. — How about a mid-afternoon roads update from western parts of the state? This comes from the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety:
1. Woods, Alfalfa, Grant & Major Counties are mostly slick & hazardous from snow & ice. Garfield, Kingfisher & Blaine Counties are slick in spots from snow & ice. Snow ranging from 1″- 3″ and some freezing drizzle. Receiving light snowfall at this time across the northern counties. 09:38, 12/16/08, RCF.
2. The western 2/3 of the Panhandle are clear and dry. This includes Cimarron, Texas and the western half of Beaver county. The eastern half of Beaver county and Harper and Woodward counties are receiving snow and the roads are starting to become slick and snow packed. Ellis county is receiving some snow and road are slick in spots. mab 0751 hrs 121608
Both of these reports are from this morning. Perhaps there’s a KOCO.com weather blog reader from these areas who’d like to update us on road conditions? You can do that at weather@koco.com.
1:52 p.m. — Remember that crash at 36th and Santa Fe that turned out to be a police pursuit of some sort? Well, police say some juveniles stole a woman’s car while it was warming up this morning. Long story short, the pursuit for this vehicle was called off because of slick roads, and the culprits eventually crashed on icy roads. We’ve got some video from the scene I’m told, video that will probably be part of Eyewitness News 5 tonight. Tune in tonight at 5 and 6!
1:45 p.m. — Things are quiet for the most part in central Oklahoma in terms of winter weather and ice reports. Chief meteorologist Rick Mitchell said it very well could be that this part of the state is done with winter precipitation for the day. Of course, anything that’s already stuck to roads will stay stuck until temps rise above freezing.
So, the evening commute could be problematic. I’ll be right here posting anything that comes into the newsroom, anything that could affect your commute along with information and resources to make it more bearable and, more important, safer. Here’s a link to Rick’s 1:30 cut-in: http://www.koco.com/video/18292168/index.html
1:27 p.m. — Crash reported at 1801 E. Remington. Non-injury according to what I heard on the scanner.
1:03 p.m. — Crash reported at 36th Street and Grand Avenue in OKC. Word is that everybody made it out safely. (1:09 p.m. UPDATE: Turns out this was a police pursuit with a crash near 36th and Santa Fe. No word if ice or slick roads played any factor whatsoever.)
12:56 p.m. — Here’s a weather and road conditions update as of 12:30 p.m. Link: http://www.koco.com/video/18291750/index.html.
12:50 p.m. — Just got this northwest Oklahoma City report from KOCO Executive Producer Patrick Spencer: “The roads are fine. I’ve gone into Edmond and to The Village, and I’ve hit no slick spots.” He said traffic is flowing normally. This what one would call good news.
12:38 p.m. — Remember, if you have road reports from your town or neighborhood you’d like to add to our online coverage, e-mail us at weather@koco.com. I’ll work them in as I can. As of 12:30, it looks like most central Oklahoma roads are faring pretty well, although I suspect the evening commute could prove problematic in spots. We’ll see. As noted before, just refresh this page to see the latest …
12:33 p.m. — Here’s video from the bridge crash Mark covered right around noon just west of El Reno. Link: http://www.koco.com/video/18291558/index.html.
12:29 p.m. — Mark is headed out to Weatherford, where emergency personnel are working another crash. He reports that traffic is moving pretty well along I-40, but there are some slick spots, and bridges can be particularly hazardous.
12:14 p.m. — Mark Opgrande is west of El Reno, where a car wrecked on a slick spot along a bridge. I think Mark’s along I-40 (UPDATE: Wreck was near Exit 108.). Traffic was getting through OK though.
12:10 p.m. — Want a midday update? You’ve got it, and it not only features Sarah Libby on weather, it also features John Flick and Mark Opgrande on the latest on road conditions, particularly out near El Reno and Yukon. Link: http://www.koco.com/video/18291430/index.html
11:57 a.m. — Report of a Metro Transit bus with smoke coming from it at 9th and Boulevard in Edmond. Not sure if it’s ice-related. Also, just coming in from scanner reports, a crash along the River Bridge at 105, which would be mile-marker 105, I’d presume.
11:51 a.m. — Kind of a major update from the National Weather Service that just came out. The Winter Weather Advisory in effect for most of western Oklahoma has been cancelled as of 11:48 a.m. They wrote:
The wintry precipitation that occurred earlier today across the western parts of Oklahoma and north Texas has generally ended. No additional significant precipitation is expected through tonight. Although the freezing drizzle has ended, patches of ice may remain on the roadways in some areas.
As for central Oklahoma? The advisory is still on until 5 p.m. with areas of light freezing drizzle and light snow scattered through the afternoon hours. The trend from the NWS is for the precipitation to be ending. Still, surface temps will be below freezing …
11:36 a.m. — Already a couple photo submissions to the KOCO.com winter weather photo slideshow. Here’s a link: http://www.koco.com/slideshow/news/18289996/detail.html. To upload your photo, go to the home page of KOCO.com and look in the big, “top story” window for the headline soliciting winter weather photos.
11:30 a.m. — Have to say: I’m not hearing too much about crashes and wrecks on the scanner right now. Doesn’t mean everybody should get out and go nuts, but I merely cite this as a piece of good news! Here’s a link to our cut-in from 11:10 a.m.: http://www.koco.com/video/18291100/index.html
11:15 a.m. — Here’s a link to our 10:50 a.m. cut-in (I’m falling behind! 
), in which Mark Opgrande talks about a wreck along state Highway 4 at Bridge Creek. Link: http://www.koco.com/video/18290891/index.html
11:10 a.m. — Eyewitness News 5′s Mark Opgrande reports that some light rain is falling along I-40 from Yukon to El Reno. He said traffic seems to be moving along in that area.
10:51 a.m. — Just got the latest road conditions from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and as a public service, we’re providing it to you online, unedited: Road Conditions, 11 a.m.
10:44 a.m. — Here’s a link to our 10:25 cut-in: http://www.koco.com/video/18290575/index.html
10:38 a.m. — Just got this from Jerry, a report from Cushing: AT 10:15AM, Tuesday, Dec. 16th, there is a fine mist falling and freezing when it hits the ground/pavement here in
Cushing. If you have a report, e-mail us at weather@koco.com.
10:28 a.m. — Here’s cut-in video from the Kilpatrick Turnpike crash that aired at about 10:10 a.m.: http://www.koco.com/video/18290450/index.html
10:18 a.m. — From the scanner: Wreck reported at NW 164th Street and Portland Ave.
10:10 a.m. — Here’s a link to the cut-in that aired at about 9:50: http://www.koco.com/video/18290255/index.html
10:01 a.m. — Just talked to Jesse Storm, and he said there are two really bad trouble spots right now.
South of the River Bridge, I-35 north and southbound between mile-markers 98 and 101
I-40 east and westbound near El Reno, where there was a rollover of a 1-ton truck earlier this morning
And, as of 10:03, here are the wrecks working:
I-40 westbound at Portland
Kilpatrick Turnpike northbound at Northwest 39th Street
Hefner and Council roads
Southwest Grand and Blackwelder avenues
Wilshire Road and Kilpatrick Turnpike
9:50 a.m. – 3-car wreck reported northbound from 16th & Rockwell.
