Ice on roads starts to melt at around 32°F (0°C), but in real-world driving conditions it can melt—or stay frozen—at a wide range of temperatures depending on salt, sun, and traffic.

Key point: there is no single “road ice melting temp”

  • Pure ice melts at 32°F (0°C) in a lab, but roads are not a lab.
  • On an actual roadway, melting and refreezing depend on:
    • Air temperature
    • Road surface temperature
    • Sunlight and cloud cover
    • Wind
    • Traffic (cars add friction and heat)
    • Use of salt or other de-icers

How salt changes the melting temperature

  • Standard road salt (sodium chloride) lowers the freezing point of water, so ice can melt even when the air is below 32°F.
  • A common “rule of thumb” is that regular road salt works reasonably well down to about 0°F (around −18°C); below that, it becomes much less effective and other chemicals or abrasives are needed.
  • This means you can sometimes see wet, slushy roads at 10–20°F if they’ve been well treated and have steady traffic.

Why roads can melt ice even when it’s very cold

  • Dark asphalt absorbs solar energy, so on a sunny day the road surface can be above freezing even if the air is below 32°F.
  • Warm ground under the pavement can also keep the road surface slightly warmer early in the season or after a warm spell, delaying icing or helping melting.
  • That’s why you might see snow or ice melting off the roadway while it stays on nearby grass.

When ice is most dangerous

  • Road ice tends to be most slippery when temperatures are close to freezing, roughly 26–32°F (about −3 to 0°C).
  • At very low temperatures (single digits Fahrenheit and below), ice can sometimes feel slightly less slick, but it is still hazardous, and salt may not work well.
  • Black ice often forms when meltwater from the day refreezes as temperatures drop again at night, especially on bridges and shaded spots.

Simple rule-of-thumb for drivers

  • Assume ice can form any time the air or road surface is at or below 32°F (0°C).
  • Assume treated roads might still melt ice down to around 0°F (−18°C) but do not rely on this; drive as if ice could still be present.
  • If temps hover just below freezing and the road looks wet, treat it like it could be icy, especially at night and early morning.

In plain terms: ice starts to melt on roads around freezing, but thanks to salt, sun, and warm pavement, it can melt well below 32°F—and thanks to shade and refreezing, it can stay icy even a bit above it.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.