As schools, offices and businesses prepared to open after the New Year’s weekend, Mother Nature had other plans, sending the first winter storm of 2025–one of the most significant snow events in a couple of years.
While many Washingtonians welcomed weather with hopes for more this season, some worry about the environmental challenges that come with addressing the snow, namely: ice melt and salt for the roads.
The salt used to mitigate the slippery snow and ice negatively impacts the environment, which environmentalists note contribute to climate change and cause less snowfall.
The 5 to 10 inches of snow blanketing the District comes less than a week after the end of 2024, which was considered the city’s warmest year on record.
The extreme weather conditions caused by environmental decline persist, as this week will bring about dangerously low temperatures.
“Our overnight temperatures are below freezing and with wind chills, the temperatures will feel as low as four degrees early on Thursday morning,” said Director of the District of Columbia Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency Clint Osborn in a press conference on Sunday.
Despite having to address the ice and snow, the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) is adamant about enforcing sustainable defrosting procedures due to environmental risks caused by salt pollution.
Excessive use of road salt can contaminate drinking water, harm aquatic animals and bugs by causing high chlorine levels in surface water and kill greenery.
Although the nation’s capital has not received large amounts of snow throughout the past few years, the District is still within the region of snow-prone states that contribute to the 20 million metric tons of road salt used annually across the nation.
As the city becomes more susceptible to freezing over, alternative deicing methods are required to reduce salt dependence and harmful environmental effects.
“Did you know we use about 42,000 tons of salt, 86,000 gallons of brine, and 10,500 gallons of raw beet juice for road pre-treating,” wrote the D.C. Department of Public Works on X (formerly known as Twitter) in January 2024. “Beet juice is a sustainable alternative, not just for salad, making our brine eco-friendly!”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), other deicing alternatives to rock salt aside from the brine and beet juice mixture include magnesium chloride and calcium chloride. While being more sustainable, magnesium chloride requires more product for effectiveness and calcium chloride costs three times the price of road salt.
If using sodium chloride is inevitable, other options include making a mixture composed of equal parts salt and sand. While sand only increases friction levels on the roads, it still serves as a means to dilute the salt and reduce usage.
“While no perfect solution exists to keep our roads clear in winter, the number of tools available to public works departments continues to increase, allowing for a tailored approach to clear roads in an environmentally conscious manner without risking driver safety,” according to a 2020 EPA report.
Residents, Leaders Celebrate the Snow, While Being Environmentally Friendly
Jamil Raspberry, 35, was one of many Washingtonians who celebrated the snowfall by gathering in Malcolm X Park (also known as Meridian Hill Park) on Monday for the D.C. Snowball Fight Association’s annual snowball fight.
She was shocked to learn how excessively applying sodium chloride to roads and sidewalks threatens the accessibility of clean drinking water. Relying solely on sink water, she urges residents to keep the environmental effects of their actions in mind, as any steps in the wrong direction could have major consequences in years to come.
“I want the environment to last, at least to some degree, for my kiddo and their kiddos,” said Raspberry while watching her 4-year-old son explore a mound of snow.
The nation’s capital underwent a two-year snow drought, concluded by four inches of snowfall in January 2024. Because of this, many residents like Raspberry eagerly anticipated this weather.
“I was excited because my 4-year-old hasn’t seen much snow before,” she said. “It’s a chance to slow down, so we look forward to the snow day.”
Originally from Michigan, snowball fight attendee Kenneth Jones is no stranger to winter storms. From 2023-2024, 153 inches of snow fell in the midwestern state compared to 8 inches in Washington during the same period.
While reminded of home and delighted by the weather, Jones hopes the snow clears up sooner rather than later.
He urges increased environmental consciousness amongst District residents who use road salt, keeping his dog Kismet’s health in mind.
“For me, to actually see my dog playing in [the snow], or to be around it [is] a bigger concern to me,” Jones, 48, told The Informer.
During the 2024 Greater D.C. Metro Region Salt Watch Kickoff hosted by the Izaak Walton League in October, Salt Watch Coordinator Abby Hileman urged attendees to minimize salt pollution by simply utilizing the proper procedures.
“Shovel early and often to reduce that snow before it turns into ice, scatter salt [because] a little bit of salt can go a long way and then sweep up any excess… and reuse it,” said Hileman. “You can store it in a closed container… and then reuse it during the next storm event.”
