How very strange

[dadeo]

I spent much of the last month driving in DC, upstate NY and NYC, CT, PA, MD, Virginia and Maryland. I noticed that the roads in Virginia and Maryland are coated much more heavily with salt and brine when there appears to be no need for it. If its not snowing in upstate NY and NYC, PA and CT the roads don't seem to be coated with this crap. I think that the southern areas are pretreating in panic and then over treating. I've seen VA spraying roads two to three days in advance of predicted cold precipitation and the stuff stays on the road if the precipitation doesn't come as predicted. It seems like a huge waste of resources. In upstate NY, where the snow comes every few days, especially as you get close to the lakes, they have lots more equipment and are working 24/7 for days to keep the roads clear and they use lots of salt. But it was also apparent last week, when temps were between - 15 and 10 above (F) that the salt simply did not work. Roads became hard packed blue colored ice and snow. A friend of mine, who works for Onondaga County public works tells me that when it gets that cold they cut back on the salt and use mostly sand.

[willtill]

I spent much of the last month driving in DC, upstate NY and NYC, CT, PA, MD, Virginia and Maryland. I noticed that the roads in Virginia and Maryland are coated much more heavily with salt and brine when there appears to be no need for it. If its not snowing in upstate NY and NYC, PA and CT the roads don't seem to be coated with this crap. I think that the southern areas are pretreating in panic and then over treating. I've seen VA spraying roads two to three days in advance of predicted cold precipitation and the stuff stays on the road if the precipitation doesn't come as predicted. It seems like a huge waste of resources. In upstate NY, where the snow comes every few days, especially as you get close to the lakes, they have lots more equipment and are working 24/7 for days to keep the roads clear and they use lots of salt. But it was also apparent last week, when temps were between - 15 and 10 above (F) that the salt simply did not work. Roads became hard packed blue colored ice and snow. A friend of mine, who works for Onondaga County public works tells me that when it gets that cold they cut back on the salt and use mostly sand.

Maryland Hysteria regarding inclement weather (present company excluded)



You want to see winter follies? Come to Maryland where endless soccer mom SUV's are overturned in the highway medians

[K/W Motoman]

Salt Brine! The hated solution to keep the snow from accumulating when a snow fall is forthcoming.
Usually can be seen as about 10 strips running down the road. This has been going on in Southern Ontario for many years and in the spring if you go for an early ride you will find the bike covered in dried salt spray. If this happens an immediate wash job must be done.
A pavement pounding rain storm is the only way the brine still left on the road is washed away.
As for why do they put it on when there doesn’t seem to be a reason is because of the highway departments road budget.
Having been a gov’t employee for 35 years I have seen management burn their budget up anyway they can so they can apply for more next year.
If you don’t use it you will loose it. Managers will buy anything they can at year’s end just to use up their budget. So if there is excess salt or brine in the early spring plans are being made to use it A.S.A.P.

[willtill]

Salt Brine! The hated solution to keep the snow from accumulating when a snow fall is forthcoming.
Usually can be seen as about 10 strips running down the road. This has been going on in Southern Ontario for many years and in the spring if you go for an early ride you will find the bike covered in dried salt spray. If this happens an immediate wash job must be done.
A pavement pounding rain storm is the only way the brine still left on the road is washed away.
As for why do they put it on when there doesn’t seem to be a reason is because of the highway departments road budget.
Having been a gov’t employee for 35 years I have seen management burn their budget up anyway they can so they can apply for more next year.
If you don’t use it you will loose it. Managers will buy anything they can at year’s end just to use up their budget. So if there is excess salt or brine in the early spring plans are being made to use it A.S.A.P.

Yep.

[Pumper]

Salt Brine! The hated solution to keep the snow from accumulating when a snow fall is forthcoming.
Usually can be seen as about 10 strips running down the road. This has been going on in Southern Ontario for many years and in the spring if you go for an early ride you will find the bike covered in dried salt spray. If this happens an immediate wash job must be done.
A pavement pounding rain storm is the only way the brine still left on the road is washed away.
As for why do they put it on when there doesn’t seem to be a reason is because of the highway departments road budget.
Having been a gov’t employee for 35 years I have seen management burn their budget up anyway they can so they can apply for more next year.
If you don’t use it you will loose it. Managers will buy anything they can at year’s end just to use up their budget. So if there is excess salt or brine in the early spring plans are being made to use it A.S.A.P.

Spot on analogy!!

The States started with brine about the same time...and have been trying all sorts of chemical combinations.

[Paul B Blues]

Here in the Highlands of Scotland we have the opposite problem. Due to financial cut backs they are not salting the roads unless it's absolutely necessary. Even then it's only during daylight hours! So there has been a huge increase in RTA's and folk with broken bones. But hey, when it rains the salt will be off the roads quicker

[3Chief]

Salt Brine! The hated solution to keep the snow from accumulating when a snow fall is forthcoming.
Usually can be seen as about 10 strips running down the road. This has been going on in Southern Ontario for many years and in the spring if you go for an early ride you will find the bike covered in dried salt spray. If this happens an immediate wash job must be done.
A pavement pounding rain storm is the only way the brine still left on the road is washed away.
As for why do they put it on when there doesn’t seem to be a reason is because of the highway departments road budget.
Having been a gov’t employee for 35 years I have seen management burn their budget up anyway they can so they can apply for more next year.
If you don’t use it you will loose it. Managers will buy anything they can at year’s end just to use up their budget. So if there is excess salt or brine in the early spring plans are being made to use it A.S.A.P.

I'm not sure what goop they spray on the roads here, however if the temperature warms up after application it turns into snot...