Whether you love snow or long for the warmth of summer, managing snow on your property is essential for safety. However, before grabbing a bag of salt, consider the cost, your effort, and the environmental impacts. Here’s your ultimate guide to snow removal techniques to help you handle winter effectively and responsibly.
Snow Management Techniques: Mechanical, Chemical, and Traction Control
Snow removal methods fall into three categories: mechanical, chemical, and traction control. Each approach has unique benefits and is influenced by snow amounts, temperatures, precipitation type, and weather conditions.
Mechanical Methods of Snow Removal
- Plowing: For heavy snowfalls, plowing is the most efficient way to clear large areas. It’s often better to plow during the storm rather than waiting until it’s over, as pushing three inches of snow twice is generally easier than tackling six inches at once. Keep in mind that different conditions may require different approaches. So, while plowing can be costly, consult your contractor to determine when they will push snow.
- Blowing: 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 of purchasing a blower, noise, and fossil fuel emissions.
- Shoveling: Shoveling snow is labor intensive, but great exercise and a wonderful way to get outdoors in the winter. And there is almost no environmental impact. Once again, it is often easier to shovel several times during a storm than once at the end. Also, when you shovel snow, you may just 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 Snow Management
Chemical snow management involves applying ice melt before, during, or after snow and ice events. Ice melt, or road salt, can be useful for snow management, but all ice melt chemicals have serious drawbacks.
| Why is Winter Salt an Issue? |
| According to Stroud Water Research Center, “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.” Stroud is using citizen scientists to conduct research on salt in streams. You can help Cut the Salt by ordering a Freshwater Test Kit here. |
If you decide to use ice melt chemicals, options include:
- Rock Salt (Sodium Chloride): Cost-effective but corrosive to concrete, plants, and the environment. Effective down to 22°F.
- Calcium Chloride: Works at temperatures as low as -25°F but is pricier. Use sparingly for cost-effectiveness.
- Magnesium Chloride & Potassium Chloride: Safer for plants and effective at low temperatures but costs more than rock salt.
Concrete Warning: Avoid using ice melt on concrete less than a year old to prevent spalling caused by freeze-thaw cycles.
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. It is inexpensive, and much safer for the environment, so many public gardens use sand on roads and paths. Sweep up large amounts of sand or grit and reuse later to save on costs and keep it from entering streams as sediment. And beware, like salt, it can be messy and damage floors when it is tracked inside.
Low Impact Snow Removal
Finally, the simplest method of snow removal 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.
Final Thoughts
So whether you love snow or think it is a bother, we all need to keep our properties safe in winter. By choosing the right snow removal methods and products, you can manage it effectively while minimizing costs, effort, and environmental harm. For more winter tips, click here. And remember, spring will be here before you know it!