Why Flintshire’s gritters are out even without ice and snow
Flintshire County Council has confirmed that gritters will be out on the county’s roads this week as part of winter training, despite no snow being forecast.
The council said the exercise is part of essential driver training ahead of the colder months and aims to ensure vehicles and crews are fully prepared for icy conditions.
During winter, the council receives up-to-date weather forecasts and uses them to decide when to grit. A decision is made each afternoon for the following 24 hours. Gritters can be deployed at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if required.
The council operates 12 gritters, supported by two backup vehicles, though a number were badly damaged last month in a fire it the Alltami depot.
It takes around 45 minutes to load all 12 vehicles, and within 90 minutes of instruction, they are ready to move.
When freezing temperatures are expected, operatives begin work four hours before midnight to ensure roads are treated in advance.
Flintshire’s Priority 1 gritting route covers 560 kilometres, roughly 45% of the county’s road network, and typically takes around three hours to complete.
During heavy snow, all gritters are fitted with ploughs, and local agricultural contractors also assist with 38 additional snow-ploughing routes. Treatments continue until priority routes are clear, including on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The council explained that salt generally lasts around nine hours and works by lowering the freezing point of water. However, rain can wash salt away, and during rush-hour conditions gritters may face delays reaching all areas.
A spokesperson added that salt remains effective down to around minus 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, but below that, roads may still freeze.
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