
Winter is around the corner and that means the love/hate relationship with the snow is soon to come into full force. Whether you get to play around in it, building snowmen or going sledging, or you have to remove it and clear it to do more real-life things such as going to work or the grocery store, snow will be here to stay until spring arrives.
For those of us that have people to see and places to be, snow blowing does not have to be a difficult, time-consuming activity, and there are some helpful tips you can use to ensure your snow blowing escapades come and go as easily as possible.
Read on to find out what you need to do!
Work With the Wind
If you have ever tried to get your hair unstuck from your lip gloss, tried to get your umbrella to stay the right way out, or have chased a rogue receipt down the road, you will know that working against the wind can feel pointless. You need to work with the wind and have it in your favor to make your snow blowing experience a success, rather than a frustrating pit of despair.
Be sure to aim your snow blower downwind, so that both the blower and the wind are going in the same direction, otherwise it will feel like you are fighting a losing battle – because you will be.
Disperse Snow as Far as Possible
Unless you are in a hurry, then blowing snow just a meter to the right or left and creating a snowbank is only prolonging another time you will have to de-escalate accumulative snow. Try and blow your snow and disperse it as far into the yard or out of the way as possible, so you are not faced with another snowbank. This is especially important if the weather plans on continuing to snow, as you will end up with twice the amount you started with on the blown pile, and snow back on the cleared path too.
Do Not Wait Until It Stops Snowing
It might feel like you are trying to get dry in the rain if you are snow blowing when it is still snowing, but actually this is one of the best things you can do to keep snow under control. By blowing snow when it is still happening, you are not allowing it to pile up and create banks over your driveway, car, and road, which can help keep things more manageable. You might end up snow blowing more often (little and frequently), but this will also put much less strain on your machine than if it has to deal with less frequent but heavy loads. This can affect the blades and cause wear and tear much faster! And, with that being said, be sure to invest in a quality snow blower that will last you years instead of weeks.
Snow blowing is an easy activity to do when you have the right gear, just be sure to keep an eye on what is in front of you, such as rocks, plants, and other items you won’t want caught up in your machine or strewn around.