New York May Be Running Low On Rock Salt… Again

The 2025-26 winter season has been one for the books. Even with the fact that we still have several weeks left of snowy and cold weather, this is going to be one of those winters we'll be talking about for a while. With the combination of the extreme cold and all the snowfall we've seen, people from Lancaster to Long Island are pretty much in agreement that we're over this weather.

However, no matter how much we're sick of it, winter isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and now it seems that we're starting to run low on a key material that we need to be able to get by day-to-day.

If something isn't done soon, the pending salt shortage that's on the horizon will make travel around the Empire State rather difficult.

Many Areas Around New York State Are Running Out Of Salt

History always has a way of repeating itself, and it seems that the salt shortages that we had to deal with last winter are back again, and if things don't improve soon, it's going to be a rough time getting to spring.

From the North Country to the Southern Tier, places all over the Empire State are running low on salt. According to WHAM-TV in Rochester, the combination of this rough winter, combined with increased demand all over the nation and delayed deliveries are causing stores and municipalities alike to run low on salt.

Towards the end of 2025, WKBW-TV reported about a pretty sizable increase in the cost of rock salt per ton in New York, and how those price increases were related to what many felt was an upcoming shortage.

Salt producers around the country, including those in New York, like American Rock Salt in Mt. Morris, have been working around the clock to make sure there is enough salt this season, but as winter keeps beating us down, we're going to need more to keep the roads clear and safe.

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