Ice Index Created By Oklahoman Predicts Damage Of Winter Storms

Utility companies are making plans to repair possible damage to the power grid, based in part on an ice damage forecasting tool developed in Oklahoma.

The Sperry-Piltz Ice Accumulation Index utilizes the National Weather Service forecast for ice in a given storm and calculates damage based on other factors – particularly wind. Steve Piltz, the meteorologist in charge at the Tulsa National Weather Service office, helped create it.

“It's intended to gauge the ice and wind impacts on utility lines, specifically power lines, but communication lines as well,” he said.

The combination of ice from freezing rain weighs down the lines and wind can bring them down. The index is closely watched by Oklahoma's utility companies. “The weight isn't so much the problem, it's when the wind blows. The index can take the wind speed, and the ice accumulation, create an index, and predict how severe the damage will be. It's proven to be pretty accurate” said Chris Myers, the General Manager of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.

The ice index scale ranges from 0 - 5, with 5 being catastrophic damage. For the storm coming this week, as of Monday, Piltz predicts damage in the middle range. “It looks like it's a level 2 to level 3 event, depending on finer details. But that means people could be without power for several days. We’ll have to watch that band very closely.”

Myers said the Electric Co-ops rely on mutual aid, first from other Co-ops within the state, to help restore power as quickly as possible.