How Effective is Rock Salt?
| Pavement Temp(F) | How Much One Pound of Salt Melts | Melting Time |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 46.3 lbs of ice | 5 minutes |
| 25 | 14.4 lbs of ice | 10 minutes |
| 20 | 8.6 lbs of ice | 20 minutes |
| 15 | 6.3 lbs of ice | 1 hour |
| 10 | 4.9 lbs of ice | Salt becomes ineffective and will most likely blow away before it melts anything. |
| 5 | 4.1 lbs of ice | Salt becomes ineffective and will most likely blow away before it melts anything. |
| 0 | 3.7 lbs of ice | Salt becomes ineffective and will most likely blow away before it melts anything. |
| -6 | 3.2 lbs of ice | Salt becomes ineffective and will most likely blow away before it melts anything. |
Key Points:
- Everthing is based off of pavement temperature. Air temperature and wind chill has no bearing on effectiveness of salt.-
- As the temperatures decrease, you have to decide whether to apply more salt per area, which is not cost-effective or sometimes practical, or choose another form of de-icer.