The purpose of winter weather operations isn't to clean and clear streets. The goal is to restore traction to streets so motorists can be as safe as possible. Restoring traction to streets can be a tricky business, but there are generally four ways traction can be restored to streets during winter weather:
- Restoring traction by plowing.
- Restoring traction by using salt.
- Restoring traction by using sand.
- Restoring traction by combining plowing, salting, and sanding.
When temperatures fall below 15-degrees Fahrenheit, salt melts ice and snow more slowly. The colder it is outside, the longer it takes salt to do its work, which impacts winter weather operations. During some storms, traction can be restored by moving snow away from roads with plows, and other storms, traction can be restored by using only a salt treatment. In other cases, plowing a street may reduce traction - especially in neighborhoods.
When snow becomes tightly packed, ice forms underneath. In these instances, drivers may not plow because removing the top layer of snowpack would leave behind a solid sheet of ice that salt treatment cannot melt quickly or efficiently. Although it seems counterintuitive, a small amount of snowpack can increase traction and keep motorists safer than they may otherwise be.