Anti-icing prevents snow and ice from bonding to the roadway, making it much easier for plows to clear the roads when combined with de-icers. CDOT's anti-icing product is applied hours before a storm and is a part of a pretreatment strategy designed to be more proactive while fighting adverse road conditions.

De-icing breaks the bond of already existing snow and ice. The de-icing products dissolve downward and penetrate until they reach the pavement. De-icers melt the ice and snow it may be easily removed by mechanical means such as plows. They are not necessarily intended to clear every bit of ice and snow on the road, though the goal is to keep roads wet.

Both anti-icers and de-icers are winter road treatments that work as freezing-point depressants and are the most desirable and environmentally friendly way to treat winter weather roads.