2018-2019 Winter Season In Review

As the calendar turned to welcome in a new year, unseasonably warm weather with very little winter precipitation left many wondering if the Farmers’ Almanac’s Winter 2019 Forecast was once again; not even close. On the contrary, they could not have been more accurate.

“…predicting above-normal precipitation (lots of snow!) for the Great Lakes states, Midwest, and central and northern New England, with the majority of it falling in January and February.” Source: farmersalmanac.com

By mid-January, Mother Nature reminded the Midwest, and other regions, that winter doesn’t stop in January. Record monthly snowfall amounts along with several ice storms left the industry scrambling to keep up with production and source additional raw materials. Bulk salt was the first to go as demand quickly overtook supply. All in all, most distributors and retailers far exceeded historical sales averages which has also contributed to a depleted pipeline.

What Will Bulk Salt Do?

We know that bulk salt ran short last winter. We are also hearing rumblings that the flooding and late season opening of the Mississippi River, and other water routes, could contribute to yet another salt shortage. It just depends on demand.

“When bulk salt is not readily available, or if the price of bulk salt begins to rise, demand can shift to straight bagged rock salt, or specialized, value-added deicing products.” said Jon Lund the ice melt Sales Manager

Preparing For A New Season

EC Grow commits to suppliers; anticipated volumes of raw materials approximately 6 months before a new winter season. For the 2018-19 season, we committed to 60% more in raw materials than in previous years—expecting an above-average year.
For the 2019-20 winter season, EC Grow will once again be taking a larger position on raw materials to ensure the value-added deicing products pipeline gets replenished quickly and will be ready when winter hits.

Next Steps

While nobody can predict what is going to happen this winter season, what we do know is that we are in this together. Whatever Mother Nature can dish out.
This year more than ever will take proper planning. Most distributors and retailers are short on supply resulting in a shipping window bottleneck. To ensure that everyone gets the product that they need—when they need it—book early and commit to taking product as early as you can.

Let’s hope for a busy, but manageable winter season!