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“The City of Jackson is operating 4 snowplows during these inclement snow/ice weather conditions,” according to a Tuesday night Facebook post by City of Jackson Mayor Scott Conger. “Snowplows cannot plow thick ice for a number of reasons. That’s why they are called ‘snow’ plows.”
“Once the salt begins to melt the ice, usually when temperatures rise above 15 degrees, the snowplows can start operating slowly removing the layers of ice.”
Conger said, “Rock salt, which is the resource that the City of Jackson utilizes, has the ability to lower water’s freezing point, allowing it to withstand low temperatures without solidifying into ice, BUT only down to around 15 degrees Fahrenheit. If temperatures drop below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, rock salt will have NO EFFECT.”
“That means without the sun (Mother Nature), which makes for higher temperatures,” Conger said, “the rock salt cannot melt the ice.”
“Please understand that a snowstorm and ice storm have different effects and conditions. This means the operation for removal can be difficult, but the efforts remain the same in the process,” Conger said.