Why Your Driveway Is Icy When It Is Not Snowing

3 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Refreeze from yesterday's melt

The most common cause of surprise ice is refreeze. A mild or sunny afternoon melts snowbanks and roof snow, the water spreads across the driveway, and it freezes again overnight. In the morning the surface looks wet or simply dark, but it is a thin layer of clear ice. This is often called black ice, because the dark pavement shows through it.

Freezing drizzle and freezing fog

Freezing drizzle is fine, light precipitation that falls as liquid and freezes on contact with cold surfaces. It may not look like much from a window, yet it can coat a driveway, car and steps in a slick glaze within an hour. Freezing fog works in a similar way: tiny water droplets in the air freeze onto surfaces they touch, leaving a thin rime or glaze. Both are worth watching for in forecasts and weather alerts.

Frost on cold, clear nights

On clear, calm nights, surfaces lose heat to the sky and can drop below the air temperature. Moisture in the air then deposits directly as frost. On grass this is pretty; on smooth concrete steps, wooden decks and ramps it can be surprisingly slippery. Frost is usually thin and short-lived, but it tends to be worst at exactly the time people leave for work.

Where to be most careful

• Steps, landings, decks and ramps, which cool faster than the ground.
• Shaded areas beside houses and fences.
• Spots below downspouts and snowbanks.
• The bottom of sloped driveways where water collects.
• The end of the driveway, where road spray and slush can freeze.

How to stay ahead of it

Check the forecast for freezing drizzle, freezing rain and overnight lows after a mild day. Keep a small pail of de-icer by the door and treat steps before bed when ice is likely. Wear footwear with good grip and use handrails. Since ice without snow does not trigger a plow visit, ice control is a separate service: our seasonal salting plan includes freezing rain and refreeze visits, so these mornings are covered even when nothing needed plowing.

How our seasonal service handles it

Our seasonal plans run from December 1 to March 31. Clearing is automatic every time 5 cm or more falls, so you never need to call or book a visit. In long storms we come back for return visits, and the City windrow at the end of your driveway is cleared as part of the service. Before the season starts we mark your edges, steps and drains so they can be found under snow. After every visit you get a timestamped photo. We are fully insured with $2,000,000 in liability coverage and registered with WSIB. Seasonal salting is available for $175 plus HST and includes freezing rain and refreeze visits, and seniors and front-line workers save 5% on seasonal plans. Prices are fixed for the season: single or 1.5-car driveways are $650 to $725, doubles are $815, and three-car, paver or stamped driveways are $1,050, all plus HST. We measure your property from City of London maps and aerial imagery and send a fixed quote within one business day. A 30% deposit reserves your spot, with the balance due before December 1.

Want this handled for you this winter? Request a free quote and we will measure your property and send a fixed price within one business day, or call or text (548) 888-8702. You can also read more about salting and ice control and our FAQ.

What's included… and what's extra

A Thames Valley Snow seasonal residential plan starts from $650 for a standard driveway. It covers clearing the driveway every time snowfall reaches the trigger depth in your agreement, plus the windrow the city plow leaves at the end of the driveway. Larger driveways are priced on our snow removal prices page.

Popular add-ons, priced per season: walkway and steps $150–175, salting $175, priority service $125, pet-safe salt $120, driveway extension $95 and city sidewalk clearing $90. Add only what your property needs; everything is listed on the quote so there are no surprises. Get your fixed price or call or text (548) 888-8702.