By Thia James

Warmer weather this week could help with icy roads

Jan 9, 2014 | 6:11 AM

Rising temperatures may just be what Prince Albert needs to help it deal with the icy roads.

The city continues to spread a sand/salt mixture and grade the roads, but the salt portion of the mixture is only effective until the temperature hits -18 degrees. Salt stops working at -21 degrees.

“As you know, we’re having a very long cold spell, and since Dec. 4, there’s only been six days at temperatures warm enough to melt when you add salt,” Wes Hicks, the city’s capital projects manager said on Wednesday.

Managing ice at these temperatures is extremely difficult, Hicks said. He said the average temperature in December, the mean temperature, was -22.7 degrees, and so far in January, the mean temperature is -26.9 degrees.

“There’s not much we can do because it’s not possible to melt the ice,” he said, and added crews are grading the main arteries and both sanding trucks are out on the roads.

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But because of the extremely cold temperatures, the snow turns to ice when cars drive over it, causing packing, he pointed out. “And the sand just won’t stick, and the salt won’t melt.”

These methods are all that’s available to the city, he said. “So, we need a break in the temperature, that’s what we need.”

As soon as there’s a “break” in the temperatures, then the sand that’s already on the ground will take effect, he said.

At the same time, the city is working to clear the snow.

On Tuesday, crews conducted a snow lift on the Diefenbaker Bridge, all the way to 15th Street North West. Then on Wednesday morning, the crews conducted a snow lift on First Avenue West from 15th Street West to 20th Street West, and one along 28th Street. A snow lift will also be conducted downtown on Thursday.

The warmer weather may be sticking around for a bit.

CKBI meteorologist Henri Dagenais said on Wednesday that he expects the temperature to be above normal starting Thursday. The normal maximum temperature is -14 degrees and the normal minimum is -25 degrees. But he added, “next Thursday [it] looks like we’re going back in the cold.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames