# Pre-Salting an Ice Storm



## GLSCPE (Dec 22, 2006)

Throwing something out to everyone... Have you ever had any luck with pre-salting an ice storm? The north east is targeted to have an icy Christmas, so the fewest number of hours the better. He have pre-salted in the past, then a final salt after the storm is over. Has anyone else had any luck with this???


----------



## Rc2505 (Feb 5, 2007)

I have done it on several occasions. As a matter of fact I am planing on doing it again for this upcomming wave of ice. If there is snow comming with it then I won't waste the effort, but for just ice, then it usually keeps most of the ice from bonding to the surface, and makes it much easier to melt off when you get salt under the ice, then come through afterwards, and put salt on top of the ice as well.


----------



## GLSCPE (Dec 22, 2006)

Rc2505;922629 said:


> I have done it on several occasions. As a matter of fact I am planing on doing it again for this upcomming wave of ice. If there is snow comming with it then I won't waste the effort, but for just ice, then it usually keeps most of the ice from bonding to the surface, and makes it much easier to melt off when you get salt under the ice, then come through afterwards, and put salt on top of the ice as well.


Yeah the kicker with this is the snow... It can completely ruin this approach LOL!! Oh well we have done it in the past and I think it is effective, just wanted to see what everyone else thought!


----------



## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

GLSCPE;922646 said:


> Yeah the kicker with this is the snow... It can completely ruin this approach !


Why is that?

The only problem I have seen is if the temps are to high when it starts to rain and it just gets washed away.


----------



## WingPlow (Jun 18, 2007)

not sure what the snow has to do with it..

we pretreat EVERY storm...if ya got freezing rain coming you'll thank yourself later for pretreating


----------



## augerandblade (Jan 17, 2009)

If freezing rain is coming we pretreat to stay ahead of it. You cant be everywhere at once and when the freezing rain hits, have the salter loaded up and patrol y our contracts.


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

cretebaby;922657 said:


> Why is that?
> 
> The only problem I have seen is if the temps are to high when it starts to rain and it just gets washed away.





WingPlow;922707 said:


> not sure what the snow has to do with it..
> 
> we pretreat EVERY storm...if ya got freezing rain coming you'll thank yourself later for pretreating


X3

Somebody edumacate me. Or learn me.

IMO you're stupid not to pretreat for an ice storm.

I also highly recommend presleeping and preplowing.


----------



## hlntoiz (Jan 13, 2009)

Many Many Variables involved here. Ground temp, Air Temp, Percipitation amount, Traffic on the account, etc. It just comes with experience. Most of the time I pretreat. Since the ground is really cold right now I will prob pretreat anything that comes along. 

For example last week it poured all day prob about 3-4" It was 40 degrees out. Got a call from one of my accounts (local hospital) at 11pm telling me it was a sheet of ice. Never expected it. Got to the account and the ground was so cold (degrees) that the moisture in the air and the run off was freezing on contact. Ended up doing a complete salt run on my accounts. total sheet of black ice!


----------



## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Mark Oomkes;922761 said:


> X3
> 
> Somebody edumacate me. Or learn me.
> 
> ...


And prewetting. I myself prefer to anti-ice. We do it before any storm.


----------



## Snowpusher78 (Dec 20, 2009)

hey hlntoiz had that same prob last year plowed on x-mas eve morning at a church 1st time plowing this account, temp warmed up during the day with runoff running across entire lot so by 3pm it was a ice rink to say the least and they had service at 6 lots of salt in a short period of time.


----------



## AGMI (Nov 26, 2009)

I pretreat, treat during, post treat, and post post treat. Ice causes the most liability. How much ice contol is enough is highly dependent on your contracts, ground temp, air temp, humidity, percipitation density, traffic, time of day, and direct sunlight. SIMA has a video on this...you can look into it if you like


----------



## jomama45 (Dec 25, 2008)

JD Dave;922978 said:


> And prewetting. I myself prefer to anti-ice. We do it before any storm.


Awww, well Dave, I think you may be thinking of a whole different type of plowing, & at your age, no one wants to hear about it anymore!  :laughing:


----------



## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

jomama45;923133 said:


> Awww, well Dave, I think you may be thinking of a whole different type of plowing, & at your age, no one wants to hear about it anymore!  :laughing:


At my age you don't have to preplow to make it last longer.


----------



## T-MAN (Jan 9, 2001)

JD Dave;922978 said:


> And prewetting. I myself prefer to anti-ice. We do it before any storm.


Dont they make depends for pre-wetting ? :laughing:


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

T-MAN;923142 said:


> Dont they make depends for pre-wetting ? :laughing:


:laughing::laughing::laughing:

Good one Todd.


----------



## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Mark Oomkes;923152 said:


> :laughing::laughing::
> 
> Good one Todd.


 LOL


----------



## jomama45 (Dec 25, 2008)

Mark Oomkes;923152 said:


> :laughing::laughing:
> 
> Good one Todd.





JD Dave;923165 said:


> LOL


I wouldn't laugh too hard, I think you may be even older than Dave! 

BTW T-Man, that was some funny Shid!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## hlntoiz (Jan 13, 2009)

JD Dave;922978 said:


> And prewetting. I myself prefer to anti-ice. We do it before any storm.


At your age before you plow I am sure everything needs to be prewetted!


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

hlntoiz;923295 said:


> At your age before you plow I am sure everything needs to be prewetted!


Wow, looks like it's rip on Dave day.


----------



## GLSCPE (Dec 22, 2006)

My point with the snow is limited crews on Christmas, therefore in the past I have been able to presalt a freezing rain event then post salt and be done. As we all know if it snows enough and we plow there is more of a time factor involved which becomes a problem.


----------



## redman6565 (Jul 14, 2008)

cretebaby;922657 said:


> Why is that?
> 
> The only problem I have seen is if the temps are to high when it starts to rain and it just gets washed away.


ya that's my fear too but i just checked the update, they say 33 degrees now, down from 37, so it should be interesting to see which way the weather turns


----------



## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Mark Oomkes;923597 said:


> Wow, looks like it's rip on Dave day.


That was yesterday Mark and I most likely deserve it.


----------



## GLSCPE (Dec 22, 2006)

redman6565;923802 said:


> ya that's my fear too but i just checked the update, they say 33 degrees now, down from 37, so it should be interesting to see which way the weather turns


The crazy weather reports change every hour. Our problem is State College is in a valley so the temp changes don't occur as quickly as other places. It should be fun, some of our accounts are closed tomorrow, however we do a ton of HOA work and we all know how they can be!


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

redman6565;923802 said:


> ya that's my fear too but i just checked the update, they say 33 degrees now, down from 37, so it should be interesting to see which way the weather turns


Yes, but what are the pavement temps?

I've seen many a time that the air temp is above freezing but there is frost in the ground and rain will ice up because of that.

In my experiences it takes less salt to melt ice if you apply before and after assuming conditions permit.


----------



## Maine_Train (Dec 16, 2009)

Mark Oomkes;922761 said:


> I also highly recommend presleeping and preplowing.


:laughing: "I don't care who you are, that's funny right there…"


----------



## KAG (Jul 19, 2007)

For the last 2 days I have been out laying down pretreated salt. This morning my lots are free of ice and all the others are Slick with ice. With the high winds and snow we are going to get I am going to lay down another round of pretreated salt late today as I want to limit any work done on X-mas.


----------



## hlntoiz (Jan 13, 2009)

Mark Oomkes;923991 said:


> Yes, but what are the pavement temps?
> 
> I've seen many a time that the air temp is above freezing but there is frost in the ground and rain will ice up because of that.
> 
> In my experiences it takes less salt to melt ice if you apply before and after assuming conditions permit.


You nailed it Mark, The Pavement Temp is Key. As I posted on another thread I received a call from one of my accounts after a day of rain telling me their lot was a skating rink. I asked them if they where sure. The temp was 40 degrees out but when I got to the site the gound temp was 24  EVERYTHING was black ice! I won't get fooled this Christmas. The temps here have been very cold the past 7-10 days and just because it was 38 today doesn't mean the gound warmed up much. I will be "prewetting" before this next rain event for sure.


----------

