They do use salt in the Portland Metro area, along with gravel and sand. Magnesium chloride (a "salt" in chemistry terms, not the common usage). They add a corrosion inhibitor to it because it's worse than sodium chloride for causing corrosion. You can see the stripes on the road when they lay it down the night before they expect some ice.

The rain that usually follows though will wash away the salt. But the worst thing about driving around the Portland area after an ice or snow event is the small rocks thrown up from the gravel. It takes a few days for the sweepers to clear the roads and you'll hear them pinging and popping off the car and windshield until they do.

Edited February 11, 201411 yr by Zed Head

Zed Head

Thanks for the correction about salt on the roads around Portland. I've lived here since 1970 and always "heard" that no salt is used. I guess they're splitting hairs and specifically talking about sodium chloride.

Mark in Portland