Over-salting the roads. (winter, year, between)

[epitathpunk]

Uh-oh. It's coming up on that time of year again....Within a month, winter's end will be upon us, and with any luck we'll be ending it on the mild side. It's too early to tell for sure, but the long-range forecast for this month doesn't predict much in the way of another deep freeze like we had during the last two months. If that holds true, the beginning of March will be the last chance for us to experience any more hardcore winter weather, like icy conditions and consecutive days where it's well below freezing all day.

If it is indeed on the mild side for the rest of the winter, I more than bet we'll see the same thing we've seen in years past with the road crews: over-salting of the roadways anytime ANYTHING is predicted...even a few flurries. Why is this? It seems like they use the stuff so sparingly in the beginning and even the middle of the season, but at the end they just dump all the surplus everywhere...if there is a surplus. Cant' they save it for next winter?

[ctoocheck]

I'm currently in Dresden, Germany, where they don't seem to ever plow and/or salt the roads (or sidewalks for that matter, although they will spread gravel). And yet, despite having between 1 and 6 inches of snow on the ground for over a month, things are fine!

Then again, they don't quite have the hills we do in Pgh.

But it is indeed curious.

[slamont61]

Originally Posted by epitathpunk

Uh-oh. It's coming up on that time of year again....Within a month, winter's end will be upon us, and with any luck we'll be ending it on the mild side. It's too early to tell for sure, but the long-range forecast for this month doesn't predict much in the way of another deep freeze like we had during the last two months. If that holds true, the beginning of March will be the last chance for us to experience any more hardcore winter weather, like icy conditions and consecutive days where it's well below freezing all day.

If it is indeed on the mild side for the rest of the winter, I more than bet we'll see the same thing we've seen in years past with the road crews: over-salting of the roadways anytime ANYTHING is predicted...even a few flurries. Why is this? It seems like they use the stuff so sparingly in the beginning and even the middle of the season, but at the end they just dump all the surplus everywhere...if there is a surplus. Cant' they save it for next winter?

And the FIRST moron to slide through an intersection and into an accident or off the road into the ditch will loudly proclaim "why haven't they salted the roads?" So there is no win-win situation here. Salt when ever there is reason to, else answer to an unhappy John Q Public.

[TelecasterBlues]

Yeah I dunno, but I've always had the impression that SWPA salts like none other.