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Shelley Osterloh ReportingMost of the roads are dry now, but people are still talking about the awful commute.
We spoke with Lynn Bernhard P.E., Methods Engineer of UDOT, who answered some of the most frequently asked questions posted on ksl.com.
When is salt effective?UDOT's snow expert says salt is effective down to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. "So when it gets colder the salt loses its effectiveness."
Salt from the Great Salt Lake is used mostly on Northern Utah roads. This red salt from the Richmond area is more effective at colder temperatures, but shipping it up from Southern Utah adds to the cost. It is often used in the Cottonwood canyons.
Other substances such as magnesium chloride are effective down to 20 below, but it costs about 28 cents a gallon.
Why is I-15 snow-packed?
Bernhard says the plows were slowed by the congestion too. "One of the problems we have clearing the roads in urban areas is that people are out driving on them."
Why are some roads plowed before others?
First you have to know if the road belongs to the state, city or county. Beyond that, it's a priority.
"Generally the cities and county have the same priorities we do, they open their primary routes, their school bus routes, public safety routes, routes to hospitals first and then they go into neighborhoods."
