The Calumet County Highway Department and Wisconsin Salt Wise are teaming up to encourage Wisconsin communities to adopt better -- and healthier -- practices in snow and ice control, Oct. 31, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An increase in winter weather activity this year hasn’t just brought more cold and snow.
In a way, it’s also brought a salt shortage for smaller communities in Northeast Wisconsin.
Places like Pulaski and Hobart, and all of Oconto County, are facing this shortage.
In addition to the extra winter weather, a supply chain issue has slowed down salt delivery to municipalities, too.
“Around January 1st, we were notified that our next shipment was coming in, and we don’t have the additional salt,” said Aaron Kramer, Village of Hobart administrator.
Per a Facebook post by the Village of Hobart, it’s already used about two-thirds of the salt it budgeted for during the 23 snow events we’ve seen this season.
Kramer says rationing can help the situation. He added the village will also prioritize important and traffic dense areas like intersections, roundabouts and hills. He says, other than that, the village and its residents just have to wait it out.
“Exercise caution, which obviously they always should, and explain. I mean, there’s really nothing we can do. I mean, I’m not going to show up at Ace Hardware and Menards and buy out all their salt. You know, there’s just a supply chain issue right now,” said Kramer.
Although some of those small communities in our area are facing a salt shortage, larger ones like the city of Green Bay say right now, they’re doing okay.
“I can’t tell you, ‘Yeah, we’re not going to have any problem.’ I would love to say that the city of Green Bay is not going to have any problem. ‘We’re going to have more than enough salt.’ All I can say is, we’re doing good where we are and we believe we have enough salt,” said Chris Pirlot, city of Green Bay director of parking & operations.
Whether the municipality is facing a salt shortage or not, they both have a simple message for everyone.
“Don’t forget to keep driving carefully. It’s winter in Wisconsin,” said Pirlot.
Municipalities likely won’t be salting very much this weekend. When the temperature is below 15 degrees, salt is far less effective.
According to Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation, it takes about 13 times more salt to melt ice when the pavement temperature is 0 degrees compared to when it’s 30 degrees.
However, traction sand may be used to keep roads from being too slippery.
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