KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) City of Keene officials are monitoring a regional road salt shortage that could affect winter storm operations in the coming weeks, according to a discussion at last week’s Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure (MSFI) Committee meeting.

Keene Public Works Director Don Lussier and Highway Operations Manager Mitchell Smith briefed the committee on winter response efforts and supply challenges, noting that while the city is not yet at a critical level, salt inventories are well below normal capacity.

At the time of the meeting, Keene’s salt shed held about 600 tons. When full, the facility can store approximately 2,000 tons.

Since the meeting, Lussier said the city received three truckloads of salt — roughly 100 tons — on Saturday. An additional 360 tons are still on order, though no firm delivery date has been confirmed. Lussier said he expects that shipment to arrive later this week.

Salt shortages have been reported across New England, including in Vermont. Town manager John Potter said the town currently has enough salt to maintain priority roads, main travel corridors and steep hills for the next few weeks. Brattleboro was recently notified by New Yorksupplier Apalachee Salt that it could not provide salt to smaller towns due to the shortage, and deliveries there are expected to be delayed by three to four weeks.

In response to the supply issues, Vermont issued a declaration of emergency allowing truck drivers to exceed normal hours-of-service limits to facilitate deliveries. That emergency order is set to expire at midnight on Jan. 29.

During the MSFI meeting, committee members discussed contingency plans if salt supplies drop further, including seeking assistance from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation or increasing the use of sand in place of salt for traction.

The discussion also touched on budget considerations. While some neighboring communities have reportedly exhausted much of their winter operations budgets, Keene officials said the city’s budget remains adequate for now. Members noted that some municipalities reduced winter maintenance budgets after several mild seasons and may now be struggling to keep up with current conditions.