What's the best type of salt for snow? What to know before weekend's snowstorm in Philadelphia region

As the Philadelphia region anticipates a major snowstorm this weekend, there's going to be a lot of different conditions Saturday and Sunday through Monday. The conditions are so variable that we need to know which type of salt we should be putting on the roads and sidewalks to prevent slips and falls.

With heavy snow on the way Sunday and temperatures well below freezing, Andy Siegel of Fairmount Hardware in Philadelphia says the choice of ice melt is key to keeping walkways and driveways clear and safe.

"Calcium is the best ice melter we sell," Siegel said. "It works the fastest, and it spreads really well. Magnesium is the most pet-safe, so magnesium is a good ice melt. It's pet-safe, it's vegetation-safe. And then we have salt, which a lot of people like salt because it's a little cheaper and it spreads well too."

Calcium chloride appears to be the favorite. It works the fastest, all the way down to minus-25 degrees.

If you have pets and worry about plants, then magnesium chloride is best for you, and it works well below 0 degrees.

Finally, good, old rock salt — better known as sodium chloride — is the cheapest, but it only works above 15 degrees and can be damaging to concrete.

There are also blends that are considered good for most types of snow.

Whatever type you choose, put it down early and remember to always keep any ice melt product away from children and pets, and wipe off your pets' paws after they walk through a treated area.

Siegel says you still have time to prepare, but that window is closing.

"We will probably have enough ice melt today, maybe tomorrow," Siegel said, "but we will be getting down pretty good after these next two days."