question about Olympic Peninsula (Port Angeles, Sequim: live, car wash, area)

[Linson]

do they put salt on the roads in the Port Angeles/Sequim area?

[allforcats]

No. The temperature doesn't get low enough to cause icy roads.

[Linson]

awesome! outstanding!

you're sure though?

[chris]

it got down to 27 last night (Port Angles, same as most of the peninsula) so you will get icy/frosty roads if you leave early in the morning. People who live on hills or off the main roads usually get studded tires. I hear them rattling down the roads quite a bit lately since we've had a few weeks here with temps below 32 at night.

I was just out at 8am and the frost had already melted but around 6am it was slippery.

[Linson]

okay. but they don't salt the roads though? my concern is the rust that it causes on the undercariages of cars.

[sean98125]

Even if they put salt down the few times of year that the roads freeze or are snowy, just wash it off at a car wash. It's only a problem if there is constant exposure to ice and if you never wash your undercarriage.

[swsha4]

Originally Posted by Linson

okay. but they don't salt the roads though? my concern is the rust that it causes on the undercariages of cars.

In lived in Alaska for 35 years and they use calcium chloride on the roads, which is the standard salt for roads. I never got any rust from the roads. It could be that calcium chloride doesn't promote rust the way sodium chloride (sea or table salt) does. Or more likely it could but that they just use it to keep the sand thawed out. They mix it with the sand anywhere it is used. No one anywhere puts pure salt on the roads.

It would be my guess that it is never cold enough in Sequim or PA to need to put salt in the sand. It would never freeze solid there.

[Xenobion]

My understanding is that every place in Washington uses sand instead of salt as salt adversely effects the environment and it is typically not needed since we don't get that much snow in the populated areas.

[Linson]

okay. that's good news. thanks, everyone for the input.

[chris]

it's mostly sand in this area (Hood Canal), although we had an inch of snow last night and I didn't see any sand get spread this morning.