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Utah Thanksgiving Travel: Even Treated I-70 Can Freeze
Salt Lake City, UT – Utah drivers preparing for Thanksgiving travel along Interstate 15 should know that even a freshly treated highway can remain dangerously icy. From the Wasatch Front to southern U
By Natalie Rhodes · 2026-11-11T19:35:12.722Z
Salt Lake City, UT – Utah drivers preparing for Thanksgiving travel along Interstate 15 should know that even a freshly treated highway can remain dangerously icy. From the Wasatch Front to southern Utah, freezing pavement, mountain snow and rapidly changing temperatures can create hazardous driving conditions despite winter maintenance efforts.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, conventional road salt becomes less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Its ability to melt ice declines further in the teens and single digits, although performance depends on the treatment used and pavement conditions.
Why Treated Utah Highways Can Still Freeze Road salt lowers water's freezing point, helping melt snow and ice. Other deicing materials can also reduce ice buildup, but no treatment guarantees safe traction.
Around 20 degrees, conventional salt works more slowly than it does near freezing. Below approximately 15 degrees, salt alone may struggle to improve icy conditions quickly.
That matters along I 15 through Ogden in Weber County, Salt Lake City in Salt Lake County, Provo in Utah County and Cedar City in Iron County.
Other major corridors, including I 80, I 70 and I 84, can also become hazardous during winter weather.
Mountain passes, bridges, elevated ramps and shaded stretches deserve particular attention because ice may persist even after nearby pavement begins to clear.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Increase the Danger Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday traffic onto Utah highways connecting the Wasatch Front, northern Utah and communities farther south.
If snow, freezing rain or sharply falling temperatures develop during the holiday travel period, treated roads could remain dangerously slick.
Along I 80 near Parleys Summit and across exposed stretches west of Salt Lake City, elevation changes and strong winds can produce rapidly changing driving conditions.
The Utah Department of Transportation uses snowplows and winter road treatments, but no method guarantees ice free pavement under every condition.
Before departing, motorists should check National Weather Service forecasts and UDOT Traffic for current highway conditions, closures, cameras and travel alerts.
The bottom line: Treated does not mean safe. Reduce speed, increase following distances and remain alert for icy patches, particularly on mountain routes and during overnight travel.