The weather man was right. Long-range range forecasts from late summer predicted a winter that was going to be cold with heavy ice and snow. Good call. This harsh weather has created some slippery conditions under foot and tire. I’d like to discuss some options and point out the environmentally friendly applications to help get your ground.

Sodium Chloride, or rock salt, is the most commonly used ice melt. It’s irregularly shaped crystals are inexpensive compared to other materials. Rock salt will not melt ice below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It has limited effectiveness in very cold weather. Rock salt does not chemically attack concrete, but it is corrosive to steel. Not good for the car. Sodium can be toxic to vegetation and can build up in the soil and contaminate the soil. In most cases, Sodium Chloride should be avoided.

Many of us think common fertilizers are safe products to use around the landscape, but high concentrations could be deadly to adjacent vegetation. Urea, a high Nitrogen fertilizer, is less corrosive and safer to use on concrete containing rebar and around steel. Urea works down to 15 degrees, and Potassium Chloride (another fertilizer) works to 12 degrees.

Magnesium Chloride is good, and has many benefits. It’s less corrosive,
safer on concrete, less damaging to vegetation, animals, and humans. Magnesium Chloride will melt ice to 5 degrees, and needs to be applied at higher rates. Calcium Chloride flakes, pellets, and liquid will melt ice and snow down to 25 degrees below zero. Calcium Chloride can be costly, and applying heavily can produce an oily residue. There are new corrosion-inhibited grades, but this product should be used only in emergency situations in very cold weather.

Just as important as melting snow and ice is getting traction. Cat litter can work temporarily for traction but once saturated, can become very slippery. Also, it can be very tough to clean up at the end of the season. Wood ash, coal ash, and cinder from the fireplace, woodstove, fire pit, and grill works good for traction and is light weight. An environmentally sound choice, its down side is that it can be easily tracked around. So, shoes need to be removed before entering the house.

Saw dust and sand/salt mix are the two best applications for traction. Saw dust not only provides traction, but packs snow while protecting the ground underneath. Sand/salt mixes are the most effective and widely used. Sand has good traction properties but is heavy, expensive, and creates a mess. Sand/Salt mixes are not the most environmentally safe methods. Saw dust will not melt snow and ice, but is environmentally friendly and easy to clean up.

I highly recommend, over anything else mentioned, to slow down and use extreme caution during inclement weather. A slow, safe speed is the best grip you’ll ever get.