When you put salt on ice or snow, it begins to melt. This is because the salt lowers the freezing point of water. The more salt added, the more it melts.
As the salt dissolves, it creates heat, melting more water and dissolving more salt. That’s why towns plow roads to clear them of snow and then put salt on them to melt the remaining ice and keep it from freezing up again.
Fresh, unsalted water starts to freeze at 32 degrees F., but water with even a small amount of salt in it won’t begin to freeze until the temperature drops to 28 degrees F.
Unfortunately, salted sidewalks and streets can be harmful to your pet’s feet. If you walk them in an area that has been salted, be sure to wash their feet afterward.
