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Massachusetts Thanksgiving Travel: Salted I-93 Can Still Ice Over
Boston, MA – Massachusetts drivers preparing to travel Interstate 90, Interstate 93 and Interstate 95 this Thanksgiving may be putting too much confidence in something they see every winter: road salt
By Elliot Vaughn · 2026-11-11T19:03:12.952Z
Boston, MA – Massachusetts drivers preparing to travel Interstate 90, Interstate 93 and Interstate 95 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 Massachusetts Highways Can Freeze Road salt isn't magic. It lowers the freezing point of water, helping melt ice and prevent some 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 Boston in Suffolk County, Worcester in Worcester County, Springfield in Hampden County and Pittsfield in Berkshire County, that limitation matters.
Major routes including the Massachusetts Turnpike I 90 , I 93, I 95 and I 495 can remain slippery despite treatment, particularly on bridges, overpasses, shaded stretches and higher elevation roads in western Massachusetts.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Increase the Danger Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday travelers onto major Massachusetts highways connecting Boston, central Massachusetts, the Berkshires and neighboring New England states.
If snow, freezing rain or rapidly falling temperatures develop during the holiday travel period, treated highways could still become dangerously slick.
The risk can increase overnight and early in the morning, when falling pavement temperatures allow moisture to refreeze.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation uses multiple winter maintenance strategies, but no treatment guarantees ice free pavement under every condition.
Before departing, drivers should check National Weather Service forecasts and Mass511 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.