Frequently asked questions
Do you always grit if you know it is going to be icy or snow?
We use the Met Office’s weather forecasts to plan gritting. We use these forecasts to decide when and where in the city we need to grit. Find out more about how we plan gritting routes.
We often publish information on our X account (formerly Twitter) when we’re going to grit roads.
Why have I not seen a gritter on the streets?
We have 22 gritting vehicles to cover 1,400 km of road and 16 mini tugs to cover 300km of priority roads and pavements across Edinburgh.
It takes approximately three hours for one vehicle to treat its entire route.
The vehicles normally start gritting four hours before the forecast says that the air or road surface temperature is to reach freezing point.
When there’s snow, the gritting fleet may be on the road continuously and our priority is treating main roads to keep the city moving.
Why did a gritter pass me and no grit was being spread?
There are several reasons the gritter may not have been spreading grit when you saw it:
- Our gritters are given specific routes and it could have been on its way to specific streets or returning from its route.
- It’s run out of grit and needs to restock.
- Some are more sophisticated than previous ones and use computer technology to only dispense the required amount of grit on a road.
The grit bin near me is empty, how do I get it refilled?
There are over 3,000 grit bins across the city. They’re refilled at the start of the winter season and we monitor how much they’re used. We refill them once a week, or as often as staff resources allow, during periods of high demand. If you spot an empty one, report it using our quick and easy online form.
Does gritting a road stop ice forming?
Grit (salt) lowers the freezing temperature of water, which prevents ice or frost from forming as it would normally when the temperature of the road or the air falls to zero degrees.
The higher the concentration of salt, the lower the temperature at which freezing happens. Generally, on the roads, salt loses its effectiveness once the temperature falls below minus 10 degrees.
Pre-salting the road forms a separating layer so if snow falls, it doesn't freeze onto the road surface and can be ploughed off or churned off by vehicle movement.
Is it ever too cold for snow?
There is a relationship between the temperature and the amount of moisture the air can hold. However, it’s only once the temperature gets below minus 40 degrees Celsius that the air has so little moisture content that snow can rarely happen.
