Roads Hazardous; Schools Closed

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Freezing drizzle began falling in Oklahoma early this morning after an Arctic cold front blasted into the state yesterday.

Oklahoma City Police said they responded to 15 injury wrecks and 56 non-injury crashes between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Capt. Chris West with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the drizzle caused several wrecks in the metro.

"People are losing control and flying off the road," West said. "We just need people to slow down."

Winter Weather

At least three traffic deaths have been blamed on icy roads and schools around the state are closed today or are opening late.

A 3-year-old girl was killed in a rollover crash yesterday on the Sand Springs Expressway after the driver of the pickup truck she was riding in lost control.

A 65-year-old Big Cabin man was killed with the semi he was riding in collided with another tractor-trailer that had jackknifed on the Will Rogers Turnpike.

And a 54-year-old Cheyenne man died of exposure after being trapped in his car after it crashed on U.S. Highway 283 in Roger Mills County near Cheyenne.

The freezing drizzle is expected to continue through noon.

Temperatures will climb into the mid 30s on Wednesday with a slight chance for freezing drizzle, and winds from the south at 15 to 25 miles per hour.

A bit of a relief on Thursday and Friday with lows in the 30s and highs in the 40s.  There will be a slight chance for rain on Thursday, but clear skies Friday through Monday.  Temperatures will start to sneak back down into the 20s and 30s next weekend and into the beginning of the new work week.

Mike Roy with Emergency Medical Services Authority, said ambulances had been running almost "non-stop" responding to wrecks and medical emergencies Tuesday morning.

Roy said Oklahomans should be careful this morning while walking and driving in the weather.

"This ice is quite deceiving right now," he said.