West Seattle snow aftermath: How/where salt was used

| Transportation | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

During the Seattle City Council briefing that just ended regarding city response to last month’s snow, SDOT director Grace Crunican confirmed that some salt was used on roads last night. Earlier this morning, we had sent a request to SDOT communications director Rick Sheridan seeking details on the reported salt usage, and whether anyone would notice car effect as a result. Here’s his response, including West Seattle specifics:

With many parts of the city reporting significant snowfall on Sunday evening, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) did utilize salt in our snow removal efforts. As West Seattle, Capitol Hill, Upper Queen Anne and northern parts of the city all saw at least four inches of snow, this emergency use of salt adheres to the guidelines established by Mayor Nickels last week.

SDOT crews mixed the salt with sand and applied it to primary arterials, hills, bus routes, bridges, and around emergency facilities like hospitals. West Seattle’s 35th Avenue SW from SW Avalon Way to SW Roxbury Street is a primary arterial where SDOT spread salt.

The department only applied it from roughly 8:30 p.m. to midnight before switching back to our chemical de-icer. So we are confident that salt was utilized only when most needed and that roadway users should not notice anything different on their vehicles.

Meantime, we’re now writing up our summary of highlights from the council briefing – the first of several (next one will include a public-comment period and will include participation from Seattle Public Utilities regarding the trash/recycling/yard waste pickup problems, which weren’t in the scope of today’s discussion).

TeresaP January 5, 2009 (12:25 pm)

Well Yippee Skipee…look what he can do.

Our Mayor is sadly mistaken if he thinks this makes up for the chaos that this city was in not too long ago.

MB January 5, 2009 (12:56 pm)

I thought the idea was to use salt in emergency situations like the big storm we recently had, not every time it snows. Did I misunderstand something?

WSB January 5, 2009 (1:22 pm)

Part of the policy as announced last week was for salt to join the plan when “4 inches of snow are forecast.” In this case, that much snow wasn’t FORECAST, but it did measure that deep in several areas of the city, including ours.

Scott (no, the other Scott) January 5, 2009 (2:03 pm)

My impression was that this was all more for show and to mollify everyone screaming for more aggressive removal efforts during the December storms. I don’t think it ever got icy enough to make salt effective last night… certainly not in my neighborhood, where it’s pretty much just been slush the whole time. Seems like an over-reaction to an over-reaction, unfortunately.

I understand it conforms to the plan previously stated, but it sounds like a hasty and reactionary plan. Since when does ice only form when more than four inches of snow are expected? And how is slush improved by dumping salt in it where roads are already above freezing?

lina January 5, 2009 (7:20 pm)

I agree with Scott- Since it was so warm early in the morning and the roads were wet/slushy, it did not seem to make sense to salt. If the tempeture was going to drop than I can understand the salting. It seems like the city is desperate to show they can handle winter weather. I know we don’t get storms like earlier this month all that often so i honestly don’t want the city to go and buy a tom of plows and a lifetime supply of salt. On the other hand, I don’t want my tax dollars wasted on overreaction either… maybe a middle ground please.

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