Received from Colorado Department of Transportation at 12:39p.m.

12/29/10:

CDOT is ready for the upcoming storm.  In the Denver metro area, 72 plows will be out on full snow shift
beginning at approximately 5 a.m. tomorrow morning although limited numbers of will be out overnight.  
Trucks have been getting ready all day.  We are expecting colder temperatures so we will likely use
Caliber… a cold temp magnesium chloride and solar salt and ice slicer (solid deicers).
 
For the Arapahoe, Elbert and Douglas county areas we have 27 plows ready and waiting. The storm is
not to materialize until late tonight or tomorrow and crews will go on snow shift as the storm warrants.
We're expecting anywhere from 2"-6". For deicers we'll be using magnesium chloride, salt/sand, solar salt
and ice slicer.
 
For Lincoln, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties we have 24 plows ready. They will use salt/sand and ice
slicer. They will go on snow shifts as the storm warrants.
 
 
Liquid De-Icers
Liquid de-icers are used for ant-icing and de-icing on roadways during winter weather conditions. CDOT
uses three types of liquid de-icers:
 Magnesium Chloride- used when pavement temperature is above 16 degrees Fahrenheit
 Cold Temperature Magnesium Chloride- used when pavement temperature is below 16 degrees
Fahrenheit and contains a corn bi-product to lower the freezing point
 APEX- is a magnesium chloride-based product used when the pavement temperature is above -4
degree Fahrenheit. Due to a lower freezing point, it can substitute for regular and cold
temperature magnesium chloride.
Solid De-Icers
Solid de-icers are used for ant-icing and de-icing on roadways during winter weather conditions. CDOT
uses two types of solid de-icers:
 Ice Slicer - made of granular salt and magnesium chloride used primarily for pavement temps 20
degrees and below.
 Sand or Sand/Salt Mixture - mainly used in the high elevations and the eastern plains were more
extreme cold temperatures exists and more traction is needed.
 Solar Salt or North American Salt - sodium chloride with magnesium chloride harvested around
the Great Lakes area.  It’s used primarily for temps 20 degrees and above.