Why does salt make ice and snow melt? Does the grit make snow melt too?
You are right about the grit it just increases the friction. The melting point of a strong salt and water solution is about -10 deg C so if the temperature is above that the ice melts. Note that a saturated salt water solution freezes at about -20 deg C. In cold countries they don’t add salt. The air is dry and once the road is ploughed it dries and there is no need for further treatment unless there is another snowfall or if there is drifting. Don’t believe all the media hype about UK being bad at dealing with snow compared with USA. The situations are totally different and mainly based on the wetness of UK snow.
