TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — The City of Tulsa is prepared for the potential for light winter weather on Monday.
While current forecasts indicate snowfall/winter precipitation totals will likely remain light, city crews will report at midnight to treat elevated surfaces such as bridges, hills, and overpasses with brine (salt/water mixture) to help prevent freezing.
Drivers are encouraged to be prepared and alert, as any change in conditions can disrupt travel.
The City of Tulsa has been preparing since late summer to ensure its equipment, personnel, and salt and brine supplies are ready for the 2025-26 winter season. Crews monitor winter weather forecasts closely and activate resources as needed when the first indications of snow or ice appear.
The City of Tulsa is responsible for clearing snow and ice from the Gilcrease Expressway (excluding the Turnpike section), L. L. Tisdale Expressway, and all arterial (main) streets. Other highway segments in Tulsa are maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
When a winter event begins, the City’s goal is to make expressways and arterial streets safe and passable as quickly as possible.
Available resources include:
- 66 trucks mounted with salt spreaders
- Of the 66 trucks with spreaders, 53 have mounted snowplows
- 4 trucks mounted with liquid applicator (LAS) brine systems and 3 mounted plows
- 7 4×4 pickup trucks equipped with snowplows
- 2 motor graders for use as plows
- Approximately 9,000 tons of salt (with more being delivered)
- 2 brine mixing systems with 76,600 gallons of salt brine
- 2 tanks with 3,000 gallons of 32 percent calcium chloride
- 210 employees (including drivers and support staff)
Crews are assigned to 36 specific routes totaling approximately 1,770 lane miles, which is roughly the distance from Tulsa to San Francisco. Spreading and plowing routes are prioritized based on traffic counts. Once main streets are cleared and conditions permit, select residential streets may be treated based on traffic volume and steep hills.
During any winter weather response, the city’s main priorities include treating elevated surfaces and main arterial streets. Once those roads are clear, the city works to clear residential or collector streets near hospitals, schools, and areas with steep hills.
All city snow and ice routes, including arterial, collector, school, and steep hill maps, are available at www.cityoftulsa.org/winterpreparedness.
Warming stations and winter weather shelters
With colder temperatures, the City of Tulsa encourages anyone who needs a safe and warm place to stay to visit one of Tulsa’s warming stations or area shelters.
There are currently multiple shelters open, including:
- John 3:16 Mission – 506 North Cheyenne Avenue, open 24/7
- Tulsa Day Center – 415 West Archer Street, open 24/7 (pets allowed with limited capacity)
- Salvation Army, Downtown Tulsa – 102 North Denver Avenue, open 24/7
- Be Heard Winter Weather Shelter, East Tulsa – 7216 East Admiral Place, open 24/7 (pets allowed, adults only)
