The timing is off

The morning brought some flurries, then some sleet, then more flurries, and finally rain. By 1pm the sun was out again and I see this guy outside dropping buckets of salt all over the sidewalks, those little blue pellets in the picture.
Does he know something I don't? Is there more freezing rain expected later? No, he just got his timing off, or maybe he slept in too late. But then why waste so much of that stuff? Too many questions for one day, I give up.