Treacherous roads forecast for OKC

Much of the Oklahoma City metro area can expect to see several inches of snow Thursday, forecasters said.

A winter storm was expected to move across Oklahoma on Wednesday night and Thursday, bringing snow, ice and freezing rain to much of the state. Much of central and southern Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City metro area, is under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Friday.

Sleet and freezing rain began falling Wednesday afternoon in Oklahoma City. It was expected to continue falling through the night, creating slick, dangerous roadways Thursday morning.

The Oklahoma City metro area is expected to see between 3-5 inches of snow, said Phillip Ware, a forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Norman office. On Wednesday afternoon, forecasters predicted areas in the southern part of the metro area, including Moore, Norman and south Oklahoma City, would see heavier snowfall than areas further north, including north Oklahoma City and Edmond, Ware said.

Snowfall is expected to begin Thursday morning and continue through the afternoon, tapering off in the evening, Ware said. If snowfall arrives as predicted, it could create treacherous roadways during the evening rush hour, he said.

Street crews in Oklahoma City were preparing Wednesday to clear snow routes if ice or snow affects driving conditions. Crews will pre-treat bridges and overpasses before ice and snow arrive, and plows will continue to clear snow routes around the clock until conditions improve, city officials said. Interactive maps of city snow routes are available on okc.gov.

City officials urged motorists to exercise caution when venturing out, particularly on bridges and overpasses. Motorists should also stay at least 100 feet behind salt trucks and keep a threecar distance when following behind other vehicles, city officials said.