In the dead of winter, many parts of the U.S. can get blanketed with heavy snow. While cities like Cleveland average only 63 inches per year, other areas like Syracuse average a whopping 114 inches of snow every winter. There are plenty of top-rated snow blowers to keep your walkways safe this winter, but many choose to instead use a shovel to save money and stay active. If you’re expecting a big snowstorm, you might be tempted to wait until it’s over, but is that the best way to tackle the accumulation? Or is it more efficient to shovel several times during the storm?
While there are arguments for both scenarios, shoveling often is the preferred technique for most snow removal pros. There are a few reasons for this, but the most significant is that the physical effort required to push and lift is lower because there is less overall weight to move. A standard shovel works well for this technique, since the snow hasn’t had time to compress, and you won’t need heavy-duty equipment or excessive force. Additionally, the risk of ice is lower because you’re removing the moisture before it can pack down or melt and refreeze. That’s why the best time to shovel snow for easier removal is when there are between 2 and 4 inches of snow on the ground — before foot traffic or subsequent layers pack it into a dense mass.
While shoveling frequently definitely has its advantages, it does have some downsides, too. Overall, you will likely spend more time outside (and expose yourself to the cold more frequently), since this method requires you to make multiple passes to keep the accumulation manageable. Also, you may have to deal with the wind blowing snow back onto areas you’ve already cleared, which can feel like a never-ending task.
What about waiting to shovel?
While it generally makes more sense to shovel multiple times over the course of the snowstorm for easier physical labor and better safety, there are a few pros of waiting to shovel until the storm has passed. Most notably, you only have to gear up and head out into the elements once. In theory, you may be able to spend less time overall outside — even though the work is much harder, you can avoid the repetitive cycle of clearing the same area only to watch it get covered again…