I was heading south yesterday in early morning and on M74 and then on M6 i passed some gritters. They were gritting (or spreading salt 
) despite heavy rain and that the whole road was covered by thick layer of water.
What’s the point of it? Do they just trying to rid off the weads on the shoulders by salting them to death?
And then, when the real winter come they will be panicking that they are out of salt again…
They must be expecting a freeze, if it’s raining there’s a lot of water than can freeze, if they put salt down it minimizes the chances of ice forming 
newmercman:
They must be expecting a freeze, if it’s raining there’s a lot of water than can freeze, if they put salt down it minimizes the chances of ice forming
Doubt it, as the OP states it was hammering down, so by the time the freeze arrives the salt will be in the drains.
pierrot 14:
newmercman:
They must be expecting a freeze, if it’s raining there’s a lot of water than can freeze, if they put salt down it minimizes the chances of ice formingDoubt it, as the OP states it was hammering down, so by the time the freeze arrives the salt will be in the drains.
Maybe they don’t want the drains to freeze then 
The cynic in me suggests that the local council don’t know their arse from their elbow, but that’s a bit far fetched 
newmercman:
They must be expecting a freeze, if it’s raining there’s a lot of water than can freeze, if they put salt down it minimizes the chances of ice forming
Ah, that’s explains everything. So this is to stop ice from forming in a ditches, and further down in river and lakes, where all that water goes. 
newmercman:
The cynic in me suggests that the local council don’t know their arse from their elbow, but that’s a bit far fetched
Well, that was my thoughts as well, but I am afraid to criticize anything in here any more, so I am glad you mentioned it 
This time they really are pouring money down the drain
Mind you at least it stops them giving it to the muslim lesbian vegetarian outreach center 
newmercman:
pierrot 14:
newmercman:
They must be expecting a freeze, if it’s raining there’s a lot of water than can freeze, if they put salt down it minimizes the chances of ice formingDoubt it, as the OP states it was hammering down, so by the time the freeze arrives the salt will be in the drains.
Maybe they don’t want the drains to freeze then
The cynic in me suggests that the local council don’t know their arse from their elbow, but that’s a bit far fetched
I must be a cynic too, cos that’s my impression also. How many times do you see the sign over the M/way " gritting in progress" ( sorry - Salt Spreading ), then you look down at the outdoor temp and it says +6.
And of course you see the spreaders, but when it does freeze or it starts snowing, the gritters are all nicely tucked up in their beds.
TAXI
pierrot 14:
I must be a cynic too, cos that’s my impression also. How many times do you see the sign over the M/way " gritting in progress" ( sorry - Salt Spreading ), then you look down at the outdoor temp and it says +6.
And of course you see the spreaders, but when it does freeze or it starts snowing, the gritters are all nicely tucked up in their beds.
TAXI
Believe or not, this winter (?) I saw first gritter working on University Avenue in Glasgow in first day of my uni classes in mid-september. I just left the lecture, so it was roughly ablut 5pm, and it was still officially summer! People were making pics, as it was warm and sunny… 
Guess non of you have ever heard of wind chill, which can freeze rain/water on the ground instantly even if the temp is +
Never seen a pic of the rigging frozen on a ship at sea?
Not only have I seen pictures of iced up rigging on ships but have spent a few hours knocking the ice of Icelandic trawlers with a big hammer and I can assure you the temps are more than just a couple of degrees below freezing.
Driveroneuk:
Guess non of you have ever heard of wind chill, which can freeze rain/water on the ground instantly even if the temp is +
Well, certainly not of the one that can freeze 2 cm of water instantly at +6
But anyway, if the salt is washed away from the carriageway before the gritter drive 300 m further, that salt would not be much help even in that extreme case, the bottoms of roadside ditches are well hidden from the wind
I dont know anymore than you guys do about gritting etc however,
I did hear some high heid yin saying that the trucks grit automatically
as if they have a temperature sensor at the rear,
I regularly pass them and they have all lights flashing but they are not putting
down grit I think this is also to make them visible how many times do we
say " there has not been a gritter on this road"
@Orys: Some of the salt would stay on the road surface and when the temp drops from +6c to -0c overnight it could prevent ice forming. They have a duty of care to treat the roads, would you rather they didn’t bother just because it’s spitting a bit?
Wish they’d been gritting in the rain in Edmonton AB last night,very nearly had to chain up just to drop a loaded trailer in our yard.Then a 25 mile bobtail across town to collect my own trailer,deep joy.So much for mild winters
We grit in the rain if the air temp is+2 then road temp is abot 0. On average a 2 degree diffrence. We dont grit for the sake of it although ideally you would wait for the rain to stop but not always possiable
glencarron:
I dont know anymore than you guys do about gritting etc however,I did hear some high heid yin saying that the trucks grit automatically
as if they have a temperature sensor at the rear,I regularly pass themsimebodys winding you up bud
newmercman:
They must be expecting a freeze, if it’s raining there’s a lot of water than can freeze, if they put salt down it minimizes the chances of ice forming
There’s no freezing by plus 10 centigrate
Driveroneuk:
Guess non of you have ever heard of wind chill, which can freeze rain/water on the ground instantly even if the temp is +Never seen a pic of the rigging frozen on a ship at sea?
Dont worry.We did 
But the Ground isnt cold enough
The Water is flowing faster then it could freeze and it washes the Salt away.
What you were talking is the waterspray sprayed on a cold Ship,or part of its,in Freezing Temperatures,but its too warm here.
muthatrucka:
@Orys: Some of the salt would stay on the road surface and when the temp drops from +6c to -0c overnight it could prevent ice forming. They have a duty of care to treat the roads, would you rather they didn’t bother just because it’s spitting a bit?
Somehow I can’t see anything will stay on the road in such a rainstorm…