Whether you can’t wait until the first flurries or spend the winter dreaming of the warm days of summer, we all must deal with snow removal on our own properties. In doing this, safety of course is the primary concern. But before you grab a bag of salt, also consider cost, effort, and the environment.
Of the different snow management techniques, you can use either mechanical, chemical, or traction control methods. Mechanical methods include plowing, blowing, and shoveling; chemical methods include a variety ice melt chemicals; and traction methods include applying a grit to the surface. Snow amounts, temperatures, type of precipitation, and weather conditions, such as wind, all affect how to manage snow.
| Why is Winter Salt an Issue? |
| Over the past 50 years, the use of road salt during winter has dramatically increased, impacting our streams, lakes, and rivers year-round. It’s time to Cut the Salt. While road salt manages winter road conditions, it can have serious unintended consequences. High concentrations of salt disrupt aquatic life, damage plant growth, harm community infrastructure, and lead to the contamination of local waterways all year. |
Mechanical Methods of Snow Removal
When it comes to mechanical methods, plowing can move the most snow in the shortest amount of time. One thing to keep in mind if you plow is that you should not always wait until the snowstorm is over to begin removal. It is usually much easier to push three inches of snow twice, than six inches of snow one time.
Next, in terms of time, is snow blowing. For long sidewalks and short driveways, this may be the easiest and least expensive method of snow removal. Drawbacks to snow blowing include the cost, noise, and fossil fuel emissions.
Shoveling snow is labor intensive, but great exercise and a wonderful way to get outdoors in the winter. Once again, it is often easier to shovel several times during a storm than once at the end. Also, when you shovel in the middle of a storm, you will find yourself in a winter wonderland, where all is quiet and you are one of the only people outside. When this happens, take a moment (and a rest), and appreciate how magical snow can be.
Chemical Methods
After snow is shoveled or plowed, you can then apply chemicals to make these surfaces safe for walking. The term ice melt is used for snow removal chemicals that cause ice to melt. They include salt (sodium chloride), calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride. Of these, salt is the least expensive but most corrosive, damaging to plants and concrete, and possibly harmful to pets and the environment.
Regular rock salt will melt ice to temperatures of 22⁰, but below that it becomes much less effective. Plant salt tolerant plants along roads that get salted heavily.
The other ice melt products are effective from 12⁰ (for potassium chloride) to -25⁰ (for calcium chloride). Although these products cost more than rock salt, you can use much less product to melt the same amount of ice. This makes them quite cost effective. These chemicals can actually be necessary for plant growth, but too much of any chemical should be of concern. As with all chemical applications in the landscape, read the label and use the least amount necessary.
Also, consider the surface where you will apply the ice melt. All ice melt chemicals have the potential to damage new, or uncured concrete. This is because, the melted ice (now water) seeps into tiny spaces in the concrete. When this water then re-freezes, the ice chips away at the concrete surface in a process called spalling. So do not use ice melt on concrete that is less than one year old.
Traction Control
Instead of ice melt products, another option is traction control. Sand, ash, and kitty litter all fall into this category. Instead of melting the ice, these products sit on top making it less slippery. Choose traction control products for snow removal that is cost effective and safe for the environment. This is why the Chicago Botanic Gardens uses sand on most roads and paths. My guess is that they are pretty good at managing snow in Chicago! Drawbacks are that they can be messy and damage floors when they are tracked inside. Although if you have ever had a white film from salt on your floors, you will agree that salt is messy too.
Finally, one of the simplest methods of managing snow is to let it melt on its own. Decide what paths to clear on your property and leave the rest. This will greatly reduce the time, materials, cost, and environmental impact of how you manage snow.
So whether you love snow or think it is a bother, keep in mind the environmental impacts of your snow and ice management decisions, and remember, spring will be here before you know it.