Oklahoma Winter Storm Causes Numerous Accidents, School Closings

Thursday's winter storm is bringing the full gamut of weather to Oklahoma, from snow to sleet to hail; and that led to school closings and traffic problems across the state.

Check school and business closings

Around 4:30 a.m., hail and sleet began pounding the metro, piling up on the roads. There was also rain, lightning and thunder. The weather created slick conditions on the road, leading to several accidents.

There was a serious accident on northbound Interstate 35 in Moore, between S. 19th Street and Indian Hills Road, involving a snow plow and at least two vehicles. According to News 9 Storm Tracker Hank Brown, traffic was backed up to Norman, mainly because of several minor accidents that occurred after the original accident. The lanes reopened around 7:30 a.m. and traffic began moving smoothly.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Check Oklahoma road conditions

There was also a multi-vehicle crash on westbound Interstate 240 at Walker Avenue. It slowed traffic for a while, but no one was seriously hurt.

A snowplow also caught on fire while clearing the roads near Interstate 235 and N.W. 23rd Street. The fire was quickly doused and no one was hurt.

News 9 Weather Page

News 9 Storm Tracker Marty Logan braved the snowy conditions around Woodward, Oklahoma. He said in the northwestern part of the state, road conditions were treacherous because of the winter storm. He estimated about 6 inches of snow had fallen in the Woodward area. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation had snowplows feverishly working in the area, trying to keep the roads clear.

News 9 Storm Tracker Val Castor said more than an inch of snow, sleet and hail had created slick driving conditions just west of Stillwater.

Betsy Randolph with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said with conditions worsening across the state, it's important for drivers to slow down and be extra cautious while traveling.

The winter storm is not only affecting road travel, it's also affecting flights. There have already been some cancellations for flights due to arrive Thursday at Will Rogers World Airport. 

Check flights at Will Rogers World Airport

The winter storms have also caused scattered power outages. You can check the OG&E website to see which areas are affected: Check power outages in your area