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Maryland Winter Travel: Why I-95 Road Salt May Not Be Enough
Baltimore, MD – Maryland drivers preparing to travel Interstate 95, Interstate 70 and Interstate 695 this Thanksgiving may be putting too much confidence in something they see every winter: road salt.
By Mason Reid · 2026-11-11T19:07:04.692Z
Baltimore, MD – Maryland drivers preparing to travel Interstate 95, Interstate 70 and Interstate 695 this Thanksgiving may be putting too much confidence in something they see every winter: road salt. Even freshly treated highways can become dangerously icy when temperatures plunge, leaving motorists facing slippery conditions despite efforts to keep roads clear.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, traditional road salt becomes increasingly less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with its ability to melt ice declining further as temperatures fall into the teens and single digits.
And that's where a common winter driving assumption can become dangerous.
Why Even Salted Maryland Highways Can Freeze Road salt isn't magic. It lowers the freezing point of water, helping melt ice and reduce freezing when conditions allow.
However, as pavement temperatures drop, the melting process slows considerably. Around 20 degrees, conventional salt works much more slowly than it does near freezing. Below 15 degrees, salt alone may struggle to melt ice quickly enough to improve traction.
For motorists traveling through Baltimore in Baltimore City, Frederick in Frederick County, Annapolis in Anne Arundel County and Hagerstown in Washington County, that limitation matters.
Major routes including I 95, I 70, I 695, I 270 and I 68 can remain slippery despite treatment, particularly on bridges, overpasses, elevated ramps and higher elevation stretches in western Maryland.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Increase the Danger Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday travelers onto Maryland's major interstate corridors connecting Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Virginia.
If snow, freezing rain or rapidly falling temperatures develop during the holiday travel period, even treated highways could become dangerously slick.
The risk can increase overnight and early in the morning, when pavement temperatures fall and moisture refreezes.
The Maryland State Highway Administration and Maryland Transportation Authority use multiple winter maintenance strategies, but no treatment guarantees ice free pavement under every condition.
Before departing, drivers should check National Weather Service forecasts and Maryland's 511 traveler information service for updated highway conditions.
The bottom line: A salted interstate is not necessarily a safe interstate. Motorists should reduce speed, increase following distances and remain alert for icy patches even when pavement appears clear.