1/7/14 - The county has ample salt stockpiles this winter, but that will not do much good with the current subzero temperatures. Salt helps eliminate ice and snow by lowering the freezing point of water by a few degrees, allowing it to melt at temperatures when it would normally freeze. However, Road Commission Managing Director Mike Craine says this will not be enough to tackle the snow we are currently experiencing due to the extreme low temperatures. He says even with the mineral well brine added to the salt by the county, the effective temperature of the mixture only gets down into the high teens. County plow trucks are not currently using salt to melt snow on roadways. Craine says doing so could cause more harm than good, since the salt could partially melt the snow which would then re-freeze into ice. He says right now the county is focusing on using snow plows to keep drifting snow from building up in roadways. Trucks are also applying a small amount of sand, mixed with salt to remain spreadable, at key intersections and railroad tracks to provide traction. Craine says the strategy will adapt as conditions get warmer later this week. (TD)
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