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If you own a business, it’s likely that you glance outside when it snows and sigh in frustration. Even if it’s beautiful, snow can be an inconvenience, and for businesses, it typically means extra costs and a possible loss of money when staff members and/or customers can’t get to you. Then there is the sleet-related freezing material that falls from the sky and the frozen layer that frequently forms on the ground even after you have plowed or shoveled. It is a lot of work and liability!
Take it from a snow and ice removal expert, it’s crucial for commercial, retail, and industrial enterprises to work with a full-service snow removal firm that not only handles the essentials of plowing and shoveling but is also rigorous about dealing with ice and the need for salting. When it comes to keeping your personnel and customers safe and your business open, salting services should go hand in hand with snow removal. They are an absolute component of the equation.
The Part Salt Plays in Snow and Ice Removal
Have you ever wondered why ice melts when rock salt or another type of melting agent is applied to it? Chemical reactions are what’s at play. Salt affects water by reducing its freezing or melting point. As a result, the salt makes it harder for the water to freeze this is called the Freezing point depression. For businesses that depend on driveways, pathways, and parking lots to be clear and clean and to stay that way, regular and thorough salting is crucial. More particles also equal more melting power. So when you are in the snow and ice removal business, like snow and ice expert Jeremy Swenson, you want to keep abreast of the supply and demand of salt.
Check out this article from Snow Magazine: The State of Salt: Fall 2022 by Rob English
November 4, 2022
Learn what ice management chemicals are available and what remains in short supply for winter professionals heading into this season.
The world of commodities, which includes virtually everything used in professional snow and ice management, has been turned upside down with global logistical challenges, fuel costs, regulatory restrictions, and a decreasing number of truck drivers in the US, just to name a few. Ocean shipping by container and break-bulk costs have skyrocketed and closed many markets out of supply. Low water and COVID in China have most of China’s production of deicing chemicals shut down due to a lack of power. The Yangtze River’s water levels have snarled up electric generation at key hydroelectric facilities sparking energy chaos across much of the country. Hydroelectric accounts for nearly 20% of China’s power. Coal accounts for the lion’s share of electric production in China. Coal increased mining production by 11% this year for generating electricity. With air pollution problems from coal, it is not fixing their industrial woes. Rather, it’s making them worse. I see this as a house of cards.
In 2022, we’ve seen severe drought across much of North America. My own experience is that nature will put back whatever it missed; that’s how averages are established. The summer of 2014 was similar to the summer of 2022, albeit not nearly as severe as 2022. Many will remember what happened in the winter of 2014/2015 when it got a late start but once it established a pattern, it snowed like there was no tomorrow.
Now this is my view and my view only, but we are going to see a lot of precipitation this winter. Whether it falls as rain, snow, sleet, or ice I can’t say. With a clearly warming climate, it is reasonable to expect regions typically hit with snow will see more ice storm. Accordingly, areas normally hit with ice storms may see rain. In my experience, a blindfold and dartboard with potential weather scenarios is as accurate as any long-range forecasts.
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If you need the advice of a snow and ice removal expert call today. Swenson Consulting provides valuable support and information at a national level for legal professionals and business owners who are involved in lawsuits or accidents regarding the snow and ice industry. As a snow expert, Swenson Consulting specializes in snow removal expert witness services for slip and fall cases and accidents revolving around snow storms, ice storms, and inclement winter weather. Swenson Consulting is a snow and ice removal expert consulting business helping business owners grow their snow business and navigate the challenges that come with this growth at different levels.
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