WINTER WEATHER PUBLIC WORKS PREPARES BEFORE THE SNOWSTORM The El Paso County Department of Public Works (DPW) plays an important role in the county’s response to winter weather and dedicates much of the fall to preparing for snow season. Part of that preparation is Public Works’ annual Snow Week during which employees spend an entire week inspecting and conducting training on snow and ice removal equipment as well as sharpening their skills by running through various ice and snow response scenarios to ensure they are prepared and ready for winter operations.
BEFORE THE SNOW FALLS Ahead of every storm, as a proactive antiicing approach, the El Paso County Department of Public Works pretreats roads, bridges, and overpasses with salt brine which is a mixture of salt and water. The reason for using salt brine ahead of every storm is to decrease the likelihood of snow and ice bonding to a pavement surface as well as preventing frost from forming on pavement surfaces. Pretreating pavement surfaces with salt brine is a much more cost-effective alternative that only requires one-quarter to one-fifth the amount of salt required for deicing after a snow or ice event has occurred. Once the salt brine is applied and dry, it creates a layer that prevents the ice and snow from freezing to (or icing onto) the pavement surface making it easier for snowplows to remove. In other words, it works like non-stick cooking spray by preventing the ice from sticking to the pavement. For those concerned about how salt brine might affect their vehicles, DPW adds a rust inhibitor to their salt brine to protect drivers’ vehicles.
