The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the organization that manages the electric grid for the central United States including Oklahoma, has issued two advisories as a winter storm is expected to deliver bitterly cold weather next week.

At press time Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) was forecasting that the Seminole area could see the coldest air of the winter—and even some snow—beginning Tuesday, continuing through Thursday. These conditions could tax the state’s electrical grid.

At 12:20 p.m. Friday, the SPP issued a weather advisory with an anticipated end time of Friday, Feb 21, at 12 noon.

“This Weather Advisory is being issued due to predicted extremely cold temperatures and forecasted heavy snow and ice,” the advisory stated. “Weather Advisories do not require the public to conserve energy, but are issued to raise awareness of potential threats to reliability among entities responsible for operating transmission and generation facilities.”

About one hour later on Friday, the SPP issued a Resource Advisory, which had an anticipated end time of 11 p.m. on Thursday, Feb 20.

“This Resource Advisory is being declared due to forecasted extremely cold temperatures, and the potential for higher than normal demand for electricity and resource outage uncertainty,” the SPP advised. “Resource Advisories do not require the public to conserve energy, but are issued to raise awareness of potential threats to reliability among entities responsible for operating transmission and generation facilities.”

According to the NWS, a strong cold front will push across the area late Monday into Tuesday. This air mass is expected to bring frigid temperatures along with dangerous wind chill values Tuesday night into at least Thursday.

The NWS recommends the following tips for staying safe during cold weather: Minimize travel. Stay indoors during the worst part of the extreme cold. Keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle if you must travel. Check tire pressure, antifreeze levels, heater/defroster, etc. Learn how to shut off water valves for potential pipe bursts. Check on the elderly. Bring pets inside.

Wear layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing, and a hat. Mittens, snug at the wrist, are better than gloves. Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold. Try to stay dry and out of the wind.