Wednesday, April 10th 2013, 8:27 am
Drivers in western Oklahoma battled roads slickened by freezing rain and sleet Wednesday morning, while commuters in the metro dealt with heavy rain and strong winds – all brought by the same powerful storm system.
The spring storm dropped temperatures to below freezing in the western half of the state. News 9 Storm Trackers in the area reported dangerously slick roads, especially on bridges and overpasses. News 9 Storm Tracker Marty Logan drove near Enid and found roads, trees and signs coated with ice. He reported the ice was at least a quarter of an inch thick near Highways 412 and 60.
Several school districts in the area were closed because of the road conditions.
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In the Oklahoma City metro, the temperature hovered right around freezing. Hail pelted some cities early Wednesday morning, while heavy rain and strong winds made the morning drive difficult. There were several minor car accidents across the city, and a report of a fatal accident on the Turner Turnpike near Chandler.
Check road conditions across Oklahoma
Lightning also caused problems in the metro. In Edmond, a lightning strike sparked a fire at a Taco Bell restaurant near Broadway Extension and E. 33rd Street.
The storms also caused power outages in several western Oklahoma cities. At one point, there were more than 4,200 customers in Yukon without power, but electricity was restored by mid-morning. There were spotty outages in the metro, Enid and Ardmore.
News 9 Meteorologist Jed Castles says the freezing rain should end in western Oklahoma by noon, while rain in the metro should stop around 3 p.m.
April 10th, 2013
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