Winter Storm Management Preferences in Oklahoma: A Pilot Study

Winter storms (i.e. snow and ice storms) can have a tremendous impact on the productivity of society, especially in areas of the country such as Oklahoma where winter storms are not as common as they are in other parts of the United States. For example, many Oklahoma businesses and schools were closed for several days during and after a snow storm in early 2011. One of the primary hazards of winter storms is dangerous driving conditions, especially if snow and ice removal equipment is not readily available. If more equipment was available it is possible that winter storms would not be as disruptive as they currently are in the state. However, it is not known how Oklahomans think winter storms should be managed. To this end, the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) at the University of Oklahoma conducted a pilot survey to determine Oklahomans' perceptions of how their cities and towns currently manage winter storms as well as their expectations for how the storms should be managed. Respondents (n=135) participated in an online survey that was disseminated by Oklahoma broadcast meteorologists during the 2011-2012 winter storm season. The pilot study revealed that 60.1% of the respondents were at least somewhat satisfied with how their city or town typically manages winter storms. Additionally, winter storms were ranked as the 2nd most important climate hazard for which to plan, and some Oklahomans may be willing to pay more to increase the number of available winter storm management resources. A follow-up study should be conducted to further develop and explore these results.