Here’s a fun fact about the relationship between snow and blacktops.
If you watched the snow fall recently, you might have noticed that the grass accumulates snow before roads and sidewalks do. The snow never ends up sticking to the pavement, while the trees, roofs, and ground are covered with fluffy snow. Why does snow not accumulate on pavement?
The Ground Temperature
The temperature of the soil beneath the pavement stays more constant than the ambient temperature above ground. As the pavement is established with a foundation and sublayers reaching well below the surface level, it absorbs that heat to some degree.
The Ambient Temperature
The local temperature might be just above the freezing point, while the snow falling from the sky is coming from a much colder atmosphere. It does not melt before it reaches the warmer pavement and does not stick until the snow cools the surface enough for new snowflakes to start accumulating.
Wet Snow vs. “Dry” Snow
Wet, heavy snow is more likely to melt before it sticks than dry, flaky snow that is frozen from the outside in. The quality of the snow can also influence how well it sticks to pavement.
Direct Sunlight on Pavement
Flat pavements like concrete sidewalks and asphalt roads get more sunlight exposure than grass or other vegetation, which has a much greater surface area in total and provides many cool, shady crevices for snow to gather. As asphalt is usually black, it absorbs heat from sunlight even more.
Road Salt and Deicers
It may be that road salt or other deicing agents have been scattered over the pavements before the snow fell, keeping the freezing point of the snow lower than it would be and allowing it to melt and drain away.
Heat from Frequent Traffic
If it is a busy road, the friction created from the tires on the pavement creates heat and incrementally warms the pavement’s temperature. This heavy traffic can help keep snow from accumulating on the roads to some degree. Even so, there are usually other factors at play that keep the roads truly ice and snow-free.
Reliable Contracting in central Maryland helps public highways, residential streets, and everything in between stay in great condition and ready for snowfall.
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