Select deicers by pavement temperature

Steps

1. Check pavement temperature, not air temperature, before selecting a deicer, since melting performance depends on the surface the ice is bonded to.
2. Use sodium chloride (rock salt) as the default choice for pavement temperatures generally down to around 15°F, where it remains practical and cost-effective.
3. Switch to a magnesium chloride blend as pavement temperatures drop further, since magnesium chloride stays effective at lower temperatures than plain rock salt.
4. Reserve calcium chloride for the coldest conditions; it releases heat as it dissolves and remains effective at the lowest temperatures among the common chloride deicers.
5. Record which product and blend was used on each application, since the choice affects both melting performance and the chloride load being reported for stormwater purposes.