When to shovel?

I didn't want to clog up Max's storm thread, so thought I'd start a new one.

Is anyone shoveling tonight before going to sleep or waiting until the morning?


I wouldn't shovel too soon - especially if the wind kicks up.


jamie said:

I wouldn't shovel too soon - especially if the wind kicks up.

 Think I am going to take a crack at it right now. Maybe get out there again around 11:30 tomorrow.


No point in shoveling until tomorrow sometime. 


yahooyahoo said:

No point in shoveling until tomorrow sometime. 

 Stuff is light and fluffy. Even if it is all filled in tomorrow, managed to get 30 minutes of exercise.


I'm gonna give it a first pass, around 9 am.  

Play it by ear, after that.


An enterprising young man rang our doorbell a few minutes ago offering to shovel our driveway.  I said no and added that 7am on a snow day was too early.  


I did my first pass at about 6 am this morning, about 1 shovel width on each side of my corner property.  Going out again at 8 am to widen what I did earlier.  I plan to go out throughout the day to try and keep the snow totals low enough for me to be able to manage.  Repeating again tomorrow until things are relatively clear.  By keeping a path now, I hope to avoid trampled down snow which is the hardest to remove. Street in front of my house was plowed once this morning.  You would never know it to look at it now.  Be careful out there.


I dug a path to our car and dug out our sidewalk.

I advocate doing a pass this morning. Its light and easy to move and you'll thank yourself later.


The question is always, if you scrape off X inches now, is the snow X inches lower after the snow and wind ends?  My impression is that it isn't.  


bub said:

The question is always, if you scrape off X inches now, is the snow X inches lower after the snow and wind ends?  My impression is that it isn't.  

 I have a feeling that what's out there now will be a more hard packed 2" under the rest of the snow that's coming.


I'm not touching it until it's done snowing. 


Dug out the front and bag doors so we don't get blocked in.  It's fairly light and fluffy.


Shovel when the spirt moves thee. I figure I'll be going at it three times, -twice today and once in the morning.


Finished two passes.  About to do the third. 225 feet of sidewalk plus enough of the driveway to be able to get in and out of the front door.  Just 1 shovel width but at least there is a place for people to walk.  Too much build up and I won't be able to move it at all.


My front door benefits from a covered front porch so I won't get blocked in there.  The back door can wait. My issue is the dog.  He's a big 90 pound guy but 2 feet of snow is a lot for any dog.  Need enough clearance to walk him.   He does love the snow though.  


My 20 lb dog hates the snow.  I have to shovel any time I want to take him out lol.


wendyn said:

My 20 lb dog hates the snow.  I have to shovel any time I want to take him out lol.

 Heh heh heh. Preach!


First pass was 9:00

Second pass, 12:40

It is still light powder, so not difficult for the electric snow blower to move it.  

I dread when it turns to slush.


I just finished with "Shoveling Part 1 -the Reckoning". It is delightfully fierce out there.


Just finished "Shoveling Part 2 -Snow's Revenge". Am glad that I have been breaking up the effort since Part 2 was of a heavier ilk.


The hardest part of shoveling is the part where the driveway meets the street and the snowplow adds very heavy snow.  One trick I have learned is to shovel the snow at the base of the driveway in the direction that the plow pushes it.   This way you are not shoveling it twice or more.   Just finished doing this part and I am an aching puppy.  The rest will have to wait.


Shovel and snowblower round two complete.

I'm not sure round one did very much. 


I did around the side of the house, the front walk and the front steps around 1pm.  Took me an hour and it was already filled in at least 1/2 inch by the time I finished.  

No more until tomorrow, and then only if the wind has quit.


Snow and wind seem to be letting up.  Just came in from shoveling the front walk, front sidewalk and part of the driveway.  So which is best:  Ibuprohen, aspirin, tyenol, Aleve?    Maybe some of each.    


Looks like our street has yet to be plowed.  One neighbor backed his car into his apron (blocking the sidewalk).  Interesting idea possibly to avoid getting snow pushed back into the apron.


I don't think I'll be able to move my car for days. It's parked on the street. And I am, unfortunately, in no physical condition to dig it out.  LOL


Might be too late for this, but...


jimmurphy said:

Might be too late for this, but...

 Doesn.t work here.  The plows just come along and push the snow against the curb as they go.  Shoveling the sidewalk does not even prevent the plows from depositing snow there after you have shoveled the first time.


jimmurphy said:

Might be too late for this, but...

 seems like the shoveling effort is about the same.


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