Forecasters predict slick, icy roads Saturday

Much of central and northwest Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City metro area, can expect to see slick, icy roads Saturday morning.

Forecasters predicted a round of freezing rain Friday night and Saturday morning in central Oklahoma. Rain and freezing rain are expected to continue off and on throughout the day Saturday.

As temperatures remain below freezing, motorists could face treacherous conditions when venturing out Saturday morning, said Matthew Day, a forecaster with the National Weather Service’s Norman office.

Forecasters expect temperatures in central Oklahoma to climb above freezing by Saturday afternoon, meaning freezing rain will likely give way to rain. That rain is expected to continue throughout the day Sunday before moving out of the area Sunday night or Monday morning, Day said.

Much of Oklahoma is expected to receive up to two inches of rain over the next five days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center.

Central and western Oklahoma, as well as far eastern Oklahoma, are expected to see the greatest rainfall totals, according to a five-day outlook the center released Friday.

An ice storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday for much of central, northern and western Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City metro area.

Several central Oklahoma school districts, including Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman, were closed Friday in anticipation of dangerous road conditions. But by 4 p.m. Friday, the Oklahoma City metro area had only received trace amounts of ice.

On Thursday, Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties in the state in anticipation of the ice storm. The declaration allows agencies to make emergency purchases for disaster relief and represents the first step in seeking federal disaster assistance, if necessary.