- Salt brine is a solution of both salt and water (23 percent NaCl and 77 percent H2O) and is used prior to snowfall to prevent accumulation. This method of snow management is called "pre-wetting" and is beneficial because it is faster acting than solid salt. Furthermore, the liquid form makes uniform distribution easier and there is also a decreased amount of waste.
- Solid salt, or NaCl, is used when the temperature is at or above 17 degrees F. Salt can be applied prior to snow fall, during snow fall or after snow fall and works to break the bond between the ice and snow and the surface of the road. The salt may be coarse or fine, the finer grains reacting with the snow quicker to form a solution.
- Calcium chloride and salt are used when temperatures are below 17 degrees F. At 25 degrees F solid salt takes 19 minutes to react with snow and break the bond between the snow/ice and the pavement. Solid salt sprayed with a calcium chloride solution, on the other hand, reacts almost immediately.
- Lastly, snowplows push accumulated snow off of the roads clearing the path for drivers. Most municipalities plow highways first and then main thoroughfares with residential and side streets getting the least attention.
- Snow removal is generally handled by municipal or county departments but in situations of extreme snowfall, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will step in and assist communities. According to FEMA, the assistance comes in the form of financial remuneration for costs of snow removal and management, and in order to qualify for assistance the snowstorm must merit the title of "major disaster," the criteria (found on the fema.gov website) of which includes record breaking accumulation of snow within a 48 hour period of time.
previous post
next post