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Good morning, Minnesota! I've only begun compiling my Christmas playlist but you'd better believe Meaghan Smith's rendition of "Silver Bells" made the cut 🔔 On to the news 📢

Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune

There are nearly 70 bodies of water in Minnesota that contain dangerous levels of chloride and about 75 more coming close to the danger zone.

That's according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which is embarking on a campaign to reduce the amount of salt and de-icer we use on our sidewalks and driveways. The agency's Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota initiative works to educate the state's residents so we don't lay down so much of the stuff.

One teaspoon of salt pollutes about 5 gallons of water, according to the campaign. Reporter Chris Magan spoke with a few experts to bring you these five winter salting tips:

• Shovel as soon as possible after a snowfall. Doing so within 24 hours will help keep ice from building up.

• Use an ice scraper or chipper on trouble spots.

• Consider sand or grit for traction when it is too cold for deicers to work.

• Be careful where snow is piled to avoid melting and refreezing on walking paths.

• Limit the amount of salt put down, and sweep up the excess. It can be reused.

If reducing your salt use is so easy, then why do so many businesses and faith organizations use so much of it? Magan has the answer, and more, at the link here.

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Regene Radniecki/The Minnesota Star Tribune

Back in 1979, metro-area residents were so desperate for snow they looked to the skies. But they weren't looking for signs of precipitation — no, several faith leaders led prayers in hopes that the Twin Cities would see a white Christmas, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported on Dec. 16 of that year.

Early snow that year melted after warm weather moved in. (Sound familiar?) That's why WCCO Radio tapped the Rev. Walter Sochacki to deliver a prayer on air in hopes of coaxing more of the white stuff out of the skies.

"We're asking for snow," Sochacki said. "Snow for children to play in, for skiers to ski in, for sliders to slide on, for snowmobilers to snowmobile on. But Lord, we ask that it might be safe snow, light and fluffy, with not too much wind (we understand that's one of your gifts) and not too cold (that's also one of your gifts)."

Minnesotans weren't used to the sight of dirt and dead grass in the middle of winter back then. The Strib reported that it had been 14 years since the Twin Cities saw bare ground on Christmas.

u/laura14472 via Reddit

Have you ever encountered something so excruciatingly Minnesotan that you feel a slight tingling in your bones? That's what happened when I came across this Reddit post from laura14472.

This sign is reminiscent of the new 404 pages that come up on startribune.com whenever you click on a bum link. May you never encounter a dead link on our dear website. But if you do, the "uff da" that greets you is a nice consolation prize.

Eder Campuzano, reporter

David Taintor, editor