The Three Stages of Snow Removal


We’ve had 8″ to 10″ of new snow in the last 24 hours and are expecting several inches more. That’s on top of the 4-5″ we had earlier this week.

I’ve been spending a lot of time today shoveling. Yes, I shovel by hand. I’m careful not to overdo it.

As I did it occurred to me that there are three stages of snow removal:

  • Why bother?
  • Just keep up with it.
  • Where do I put it?

During the first phase there’s so little it hardly seems worth doing anything about it—it’ll just be gone in a few hours. We’ve been in the second phase for most of the last day. Now we’re entering the third phase. The biggest challenge isn’t shoveling it but throwing the shovels-ful over the earlier piles of snow.

4 comments… add one
  • Andy Link

    I’m weird in that I actually kind of enjoy shoveling snow. I do it by hand as well. Plus, snow here is often pretty dry, so if there isn’t a lot of accumulation I can use a broom or the leaf-blower. We have a drier climate here with lots of sunshine in the winter, so the third stage usually isn’t a big problem.

    But if you’re looking to offload some snow, please ship it to us, we’d be grateful. We’re in a drought and the snowpack in the Rockies so far is well below normal. If the Rockies don’t get more snow this winter, there’s a real possibility that one or more dams along the Colorado River won’t be full enough to generate electricity. Not to mention all the other effects of reduced runoff and a smaller water supply in the arid parts of the west.

  • Drew Link

    Snow. Hmmm. Snow. I seem to recall that word, but just can’t place it right now.

    But it was 65 degrees today. So there’s that…….

  • steve Link

    Living out in the sticks there is no problem with where to put the snow. Driveway is too long to do it with a shovel in a timely manner, so its a snowblower for me.

    Steve

  • Grey Shambler Link

    We had monday 16 inches officially. So wet it plugged up snowblowers.
    Waiting for warmer weather, not in the forecast yet.
    They said that for Lincoln that’s a 50 year one day record. Big snows don’t really happen that often here, but you remember them.

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