!!!

While London may have run out of grit last winter, Heathrow is
determined that it doesn’t run out of the highly concentrated de-icing
fluid it uses on the runways (grit is not used as this could get into
engines). That’s why the airport now has an innovative computer system
that remotely measures how much de-icer is left – to ensure restocking
can take place when required. To minimise the impact on the
surrounding greenery, the chemical bi-product – glycol – is also
recovered by a host of new recovery vehicles, ensuring more waste de-
icing liquid can be removed effectively from the airport.
To ensure it has the most up-to-date weather predictions, Heathrow
uses the Met Office’s OpenRunway system which offers 24 hour access to
measurements including air and runway temperatures, wind and
visibility, all vital in determining the right time to apply anti or
de-icer.

Key Heathrow snow facts:
# Heathrow was the only major airport in the UK to not close last
winter
# There are over 60 vehicles and 50 staff keeping the runways clear
# An extra £500,000 has been invested this year in snow-fighting
technology
# Heathrow has storage for 500,000 litres of de-icing fluid
Each de-icing vehicle can hold a massive 60,000 litres and it takes
around 25 mins to de-ice each runway

http://allpointsnorth.co.uk/2010/12/...-assnow-bites/