Community Corner
City Crews Preparing Des Moines Roads For Snow Storms
The distinctive smelling, orange-ish colored liquid was a mixture of saltwater and beet juice that Public Works crews sprayed on Des Moines.
January 21, 2021
DES MOINES, IOWA – Thursday, January 21, 2021 –Did you see what City Crews were spraying on Des Moines streets today? If you saw it, you probably smelled it and wondered what was coming out of the city trucks.
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The distinctive smelling, orange-ish colored liquid was a mixture of saltwater and beet juice that Public Works crews sprayed on Des Moines roads as an anti-icing agent in preparation for this weekend’s snowstorms. The beet juice is added when low temperatures are expected as it helps lower the freezing point of water even further to help prevent Des Moines’ roadways from icing up.
"We're preparing now for what could be a series of snowstorms that could really pack a punch over the next week," Des Moines Public Works Director Jonathan Gano said. "We are taking the actions we can now to ensure that snow removal goes as smoothly as possible to keep our over 2,200 miles of Des Moines roads moving."
This press release was produced by the City of Des Moines. The views expressed here are the author’s own.