Oklahoma City schools planning to re-open Thursday despite possible ice overnight

After a lull in wintry precipitation overnight Tuesday and daytime Wednesday, the third (and likely final) wave of an ongoing ice storm was expected to pass through Oklahoma Wednesday night ― although forecasters were less certain about what time and how much various counties would be affected.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Norman said clouds of light freezing rain and sleet would develop Wednesday evening in southern portions of Oklahoma first, before expanding north into central Oklahoma. The agency did not expect the wintry precipitation to hit the Oklahoma City metro area until after 10 p.m.

Ice, rain and sunshine: OKC weather could lead to slick roads Wednesday

Ice accumulation in central Oklahoma is expected to reach trace amount levels, up to one tenth of an inch, the NWS said. Counties further south of Oklahoma City could see layers of ice up to a quarter of an inch.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. said response personnel would continue to monitor conditions throughout eastern and southern Oklahoma, but the company did not expect the Oklahoma City metro service area's power grid to be affected Wednesday night, due to low wind.

Frigid conditions are likely to persist until early Thursday. Temperatures are expected to gradually warm as the weekend approaches.

Oklahoma City schools likely to reopen if roads deemed safe

With the onset of icy precipitation expected to be very late Wednesday, several metro school administrations announced their campuses would reopen Thursday, but only after officials had evaluated road conditions for safety early that morning.

Anna Aguilar, director of communications at Moore Public Schools, said members of the district's administrative team would drive bus routes and check school lots at 4 a.m. Thursday, after which they would determine how to conduct operations for the day by 6 a.m. If parents and students don't get an alert by that time, it would mean in-person learning has resumed, she said.

Similarly, Norman Public Schools officials also said they expected to hold in-person classes Thursday. But employees planned to check road conditions and bus routes early in the morning, with the expectation to inform families if schools needed to be closed by 5 a.m. If not, in-person classes and activities would resume, although school officials also advised that buses might run later than scheduled.

Mid-Del Public Schools officials also said their campuses planned to return to in-person classes Thursday. District employees would evaluate road conditions early that morning, they said, and would announce to parents if any changes in the schedules were needed.

By 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oklahoma City Public Schools officials had not announced Thursday plans for the district. Several other schools, colleges and universities in the Oklahoma City metro had not updated their websites or social media platforms with Thursday announcements by Wednesday evening, either.

Only one known school in the Oklahoma City area, Shawnee Public Schools, had canceled classes Thursday. Pivoting away from virtual instruction the previous day, Shawnee school officials said Thursday would be a traditional "snow day" for students.

It is recommended that families keep in contact with individual schools for what plans are being made the rest of the week.