Landcare Storm Information

Hello Plowers and Winter Contractors

HOURS OF OPERATION.   We will be open at 5:00 AM on Wednesday morning.

We are open from 8 AM - 4 PM, Monday thru Friday, for those of you who want to schedule a delivery of products or want to pick up products during the week.

WEATHER UPDATES.   This storm looks like it could happen??  We all need the $$$!!  The storm should kick in this evening, after dark as a period of something...rain, snow, sleet....and become all snow as we move toward the midnight hour.  It could snow fairly steadily until 5 AM or so when it turns back to a mix and then rain.  A slight change in temps or direction could mean huge changes.  We are watching it VERY closely and will update as we go.

 PLAN OF ACTION.    You may need to scrape in the morning...you may need to treat in the morning.  Either way, we hope we all have something to do in the morning.  If there is anything on the ground, our crews will treat with straight salt regardless of what we think it might do later on because we don't want to risk someone slipping and falling.  If temps are hovering at the freezing mark and it is raining, we will still treat because it will be a gamble as to whether temps will rise fast enough before commute time to avoid any problems.  Again, we will be watching and update as we go.  Check back but be prepared to do something. 

Remember, Slip and fall accidents happen primarily at rush hours and tomorrow mornings conditions will be just right for problems!!  Treat your areas thoroughly and use color coded products on all walks.  All our bagged products are color coded so if someone does slip and fall, they see that colored product and the thought of a law suit disappears.  Color coded bagged products come in Purple, Pink and Green.

Be proactive, not reactive!

Check back often with our Storm Page and our Storm Phone Hotline, 749-9797.  We update storm hours and action plans everytime there's weather!!! 

This really is the ideal weather for the treated salt too. For the guys who use it regularly, they have all reported seeing the difference it makes as opposed to straight salt.  Furthermore, if you close your hopper down to the last notch and keep engine speeds up, you will use 30%less material and get a better result. Read below for more details.

WHAT IS TREATED SALT??  Treated Salt is rock salt that has been sprayed, or 'treated' with a mollasses by-product from the brewing of alcohols, corn and sugar beets.  After the final brewing process has been completed, brewers call the remaining mollasses a 'brewers condenced soluable' or 'BCS'.   This BCS is a brownish, stickyish, sweet smelling material that livestock farmers have traditionally used to add to livestock feed.  When adopted by the ice industry, the material is mixed with magnesium cloride where it is then sprayed onto bulk salt.

What makes it work better than straight salt??  Because of its stickyish nature and along with the magnesium chloride, it both sticks to the salt grain and forms a quicker brine when applied.  That brine is what bonds with the ground surface, spreads out and immediately starts the melting process.  Straight salt needs liquid to activate it.  The BCS is the liquid that activates the salt.  BCS will remain in its liquid state down to temps of ~30 degrees below zero.  Because it bonds with the surface, it also gives us the benefit of a residual staying power.  It starts the bonding process when applied as a 'pre-treatment' before a storm and it can remain effective for several days after the storm has ended.  For more details and how to maximize your use of Treated Salt, ask one of us and we will be happy to share our tips and experiences.  

SAND AND SALT.  For those of you using sand and salt, remember , sand locks cold air in and can make ice worse.  If it's just traction you're after, sand is great but preventing ice in the first place will eradicate the need for sand in the long run.  Our friends at the local and state levels remind us that sand contains silicates which aren't great for the environment and that over time, sand clogs drains, wetlands and it's expensive to clean.  Your customers will be notice the difference too.   Sand tracks into bulidings where it is a nuisance to clean and detrimental to carpets and flooring.

HOW TO REACH US.  We are always reachable at the STORM PHONE HOTLINE @ 603-749-9797.  Press 9 to engage the Hotline Message.  During the overnight storm hours, check us out on 105.3 The Shark and 97.5 Wokq for regular ad reminders.

Sno Pro Tip:  Remember.    Cold air settles at the lowest points and road surface temps are usually colder than air temps by aproximately 5 degrees. This applies all winter.  When your thermometer reads 38 degrees or less, ice is forming at surface areas.  

WE SELL IT!!  We are ready-- fully stocked with all the Rock salt, Sand/Salt and Treated Salt. Click on the Snow and Ice Control page for prices on all our materials. 

BULK MATERIALS.  Prebuy your bulk salt, sand/salt or treated salt in 18 yard increments and save a bundle.  You don't have to take it yet, just pay for it and pick it up whenever you need it during storms. It will be here for you!  Think about how much material you use all winter and you'll realize it's well worth the savings.

Take advantage of our prebuy program and that goes all season.  We are actively delivering our bulk materials so don't wait until the last minute. It gets crazy!!

As always, we are  fully stocked and open during the storm so come on in.

BAGGED ICE MELTS.  We carry 7 different kinds and you won't get better pricing ANYWHERE!!!  Seriously, no box store will touch our prices.  Come in or check out the Snow & Ice page at landcareassociates.com for pricing details.  We deliver too and if you order the right amount-FREE DELIVERY!

Thanks for checking in with the LandCare storm page and we'll see you when the snow flies!!!