When snowfall is heavy enough to require plowing, the time needed to complete a route can nearly double. The BCEO budgets for about 3,700 tons of salt for an average Butler County winter. Salt trucks are loaded with about eight to ten tons of salt, enough to apply approximately 700 pounds of salt for each mile of roadway on each individual route. The colder it gets, the more salt is required to melt snow and ice. This is because salt begins to lose its effectiveness as temperatures drop below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Calcium chloride is mixed with salt in colder temperatures to increase the salt's melting ability.
Direct sunlight and traffic also help salt work better. Heavily traveled roads may often become more slushy and clear sooner than lesser traveled roads in rural areas. Salt was first used for snow and ice control in the 1940s, but its use didn't become widespread until the 1960s. Salt is used as the principle deicer because it is the most readily available and least expensive deicer. Salt is non-toxic and harmless to skin and clothing.