There are many opinions on when to use a snow blower. To clear the snow from the driveway or walkways; or from the entire driveway or all of the walkways.
Some may say, the earlier you clear the snow, the better. While others, who live in northern climates, may advise waiting till after a storm has stopped to clear snow.
However, there is no set answer for when to use a snow blower.
We have all tried clearing our driveways and sidewalks in the winter, but what happens when you have a large driveway or many sidewalks to clear?
In this blog, you will learn when you should use a snow blower.
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When to Use a Snow Blower?
Also, if your driveway is long and wide, and takes you a long time to clear it, a snow blower would be a time-saver.
If you have a gentle incline, and the snow is fluffy, a snow blower might be useless because it may not throw the snow far enough down the driveway to do any good.
Use a shovel if you have a gentle incline, need to throw the snow away from your house and the snow is fluffy.
You can clear snow from steps and sidewalks much faster with a shovel than a snow blower, and in some cases, it is safer to use a shovel for this purpose.
Also, if you are clearing snow off a roof, it is easier and safer to use a shovel.
How Long Should You Wait Before Blowing Snow?
The hard-and-fast rule is that you should wait for at least 48 hours after the last snowfall before you blow it away.
If you fail to follow that rule, you could get a ticket from the city or town authorities.
Some municipalities, such as Sacramento, put a little twist on the rule: They say that you should wait for two days after the last precipitation before you start the snow removal process.
To keep the snow on the ground, you should aim to blow snow off your roof every few days.
How long you should wait before doing so depends on the temperature outside, since warmer temperatures mean snow will fall off the roof faster.
The best time to do it is when the temperature is above freezing and it’s below 10 C.
When Not to Use a Snow Blower?
When the snow is very light, you can clear it by using a shovel. Snow blowers are meant for heavier snow.
Both blowers and shovels can be used to clear snow.
Conclusion
When using a snow blower, you want to make sure that there is at least 4 to 6 inches of snow on the ground before using one.
The snow blower is not meant for smaller amounts of snow like 6 to 8 inches. They are meant to be used for heavy snowfall which can be dangerous for you to shovel.
A snow blower will quickly clear your driveway and get you back up and moving in no time! We hope you enjoyed our post on when to use a snow blower.