Twin Falls City uses different method to treat snow on streets this winter

As winter weather comes, the city of Twin Falls prepares for roadway snow removal with a change.

In previous years, the city treated roads with a mixture of salt and sand to provide traction for vehicles, but according to the city street supervisor, if it's too cold for there to be moisture on the roads, salt does no good.

This year, they will treat the roads based on temperature, anything under 20 degrees will be treated with just sand while warmer storms will be treated with just salt.

The city will also start pre-treating roads with a blue salt brine before storms, focusing on priority roads first.

"We won't be able to pre-treat every street before a storm. In the future we'd like to be able to do that, but right now, we just don't have the capabilities," said Mark Thomson, city street supervisor.

The city has used a few types of brine in the past, but this year, they decided to change it to a salt brine.

According to Thomson, the product should be able to melt ice at temperatures as low as negative six, making it easier for plows to remove.