When Should You Grit?

Every winter, gritters roll out of their garages and take to the roads, helping make roads and car parks a safer environment for public and private use. This is critical in ensuring road and path conditions remain suitable throughout the winter months and when there’s a higher risk of ice or snowfall. 

Icy roads and pavements are responsible for thousands of accidents year on year, meaning gritting the ground, and getting the timing right, is important to ensure you keep your property and the roads as safe as possible.

So, when should businesses expect to grit roads and paths?

Should you Grit Before Snow and Heavy Rainfall?

One of the most frequently asked questions surrounding gritting is when you should girt, or more specifically, should you grit before snow?

In short, the gritting of roads and paths needs to happen after heavy rainfall, before snowfall and before the ground temperature begins to freeze for maximum effectiveness, especially when snow, ice and frost is forecasted.

This is because the grit itself needs time to dissolve into the existing damp on the ground, it’s best spread before heavy snowfall or frost, rather than during weather events that can make it less effective.

What Temperature Do Gritters Go Out?

Whilst local authorities and gritting companies will have their own specific temperatures that trigger gritting, generally the temperature will be around 0-2 degrees to move them into action.

Ground temperature is used as air temperatures can often be warmer, especially during a cold snap, when the weather changes and becomes colder. Largely, ground temperature is affected by the angle of sun throughout winter, the amount of sunlight affected by the day length, and the cloud cover (where heavier cloud cover traps heat in).

The dew point is key, as this is the point when the air is too cold for water to form and will instead turn to frost or ice on the ground.

What Time Do Gritters Go Out?

Gritters tend to go out in the evening when roads are quieter to ensure that the grit isn’t broken down too much, but, if necessary, they will go out earlier. Normally gritters are on the road between 7pm and 4am. Overnight gritting is important, so if snow falls in the early hours of the morning, the roads are cleared and ready for the morning traffic.

However, if you see gritters out during the day, it usually means a cold spell is coming soon, and that snow is forecast sooner than overnight.

Weather Forecasting For Gritting

For grit to be effective, it needs to be applied before snow falls. Therefore, weather forecasting services need to be consulted in order to predict as accurately as possible when snow will fall. Weather reports are sent from different places across the country, not only determining the predicted ground temperatures, but when the dew point is reached, helping us to understand at what point to send the gritters out.

At Grounds Care Group, we use a combination of the latest technology and equipment, including an understanding of forecasting from the Met Office. The Met Office works with companies across the UK to provide location-specific forecasts and by-the-minute forecasting of snow or the likelihood of ice.

It’s a really important part of any gritting service to have expert weather forecasting as it helps to increase the cost efficiency for any client. While it’s better to grit than risk unsafe road conditions, it’s also important to ensure that excess grit is not spread without reason. 

As companies employ us to help them fulfil their duty of care, we look at regional factors as counties may be affected by snow and ice differently.

The Importance Of Considering Gritting Early

The earlier people think about gritting the better. Contractors such as Grounds Care Group get very busy during winter, so it’s important to obtain a contract before the cold snap happens and grit becomes key to keeping the roads safe and in-use.

Many gritting contractors have existing routes, and often they may go past your business without realising. Adding your business to their existing route may not be too much trouble, so always enquire early for maximum effectiveness.

Similarly with HSE compliance, all businesses have a duty of care over their employees and visitors to keep them safe from slips, trips and falls, which is why it is important to make sure you have secured these services early, to fulfil risk assessment requirements.If you’re looking for a gritting contractor, get in touch with Grounds Care Group today.