We started the day with a bit of sleet or freezing rain that soon turned to snow, then to heavy snow. While it's forecast to snow for a while yet it is lighter now, but there will still be some more to clean up in the morning. Here's a very short time lapse video of me starting to clear the snow just a bit ago. Only maybe 3 or 4 inches, so not so bad as the snowstorm when I last posted. Next big snow maybe I'll try to get a view down the driveway.
Once we were done here you can see how deep it is by the drive and the mounds along the road. What can you do but deal with it? Living in Wisconsin we're certainly used to it. The impact on us has actually not been too bad this season due to both of us working at home full time. My wife has to go out much more often than I for taking care of her dad, but she can usually work around the weather, thankfully.
Oh, and after tomorrow we plunge into the single digits for highs and into the negatives every night for the foreseeable forecast. That's Fahrenheit for my UK friends - don't do the conversion, it's just going to be stupid, stupid cold.
Looking forward to the times I have something else to write about.
A lawnmower for snow - that's brilliant! Your skill in getting the snow to blow away from where you have already done is amazing!
I haven't seen one of those machines over here, but we could do with one.
What, in your experience, is the best sort of equipment for removing snow manually? Mr BW keeps mentioning those plastic snow shovels, but I am unconvinced they will stand up to the depths of snow we're getting here currently.
Although, thankfully, it will never be as cold as it is with you. Hopefully.
Also, do you use winter tyres or snow chains on your vehicles? We're coping with this snow by not going out at all, and pushing delivery vans out when they get stuck (if we don't, we're scared they won't come again!).
No snow tires or chains here. Almost all tires these days are all-season, so pretty good year-round. And most of the main roads get down to pavement pretty quick. They (wisely) don't use salt on the neighborhood roads anymore because of the lakes. (Of course, it won't get warm enough for salt to melt ice again for over a week yet, anyway!)
And I believe almost all snow shovels are plastic now, but the handle should be metal, wood or other strong composite. And some have a metal edge on the shovel blade. They can be back killers with wet snow, so I would recommend one with the ergonomic bend in the handle. Or if you mostly push the snow off then they have that kind, too. Shorter and wider shovels, like a small plow. We have one of each.
Yes, our seasons are more similar now than before, but I think our winters get a bit more harsh!
I hadn't thought about the effect of salt on the environment/water courses. I also didn't know that it could be too cold for salt to melt ice. I've nearly used a 20kg bag of rock salt this year already. In the past a 1.5kg bag has sufficed for a winter.
A day without snow today... but more due overnight and for the next week.
Phew! That does look like a proper winter and that snow blower does the job. I hadn't realised it could be too cold for salt but very wise to consider the environment and impact upon the water and wildlife.
Here it is cold but a positively balmy 5℃ currently compared to you and lots of rain.
Cool snow blower...am so glad we don't have need for such, pretty though snow is it so quickly gets a pain. FWIW, Witchy on the two occasions I've used our plastic snow shovel it has accomplished the task admirably. Ours is one with a metal edge. Also I bought it at the end of winter in Sainsbury's for I think £1.50.....beat that for value if you can. ;)
Hey guys! Win, BW? That's debatable. I'm curious as to what you decide to get. How are you removing snow now?
Right now it's 9ºF, the high for the day, and it isn't forecast to get any higher until next Sunday. I had to go into work this morning for a couple hours. All the main roads are mostly fine, but those side roads you really have to be careful and I spun my tires a few times.
I'm not crying 'woe is me' here, this is just all that's happened recently worth writing about. It's been worse before and it will get better soon.
Superbowl Sunday tomorrow. I don't really have a dog in the fight, but all day I will be enjoying the festive feeling, terrible-for-me game snacks and, of course, the game! Cheers!
Oh, and I've barely used any salt this year, just a bit between the back door and the garage. Out front we have so many dog walkers about and the salt is so bad for their paws that the last couple years it's only when absolutely necessary.
I'm over 50, married and child-free. My wife and I have a home not far from downtown Madison, Wisconsin, since 2009. I like music, taking pictures and good humor - plus writing about it all here. I am still not on farcebook or other social media, only Blogger and YouTube. Email me at scoakatsblog@gmail.com. I check it every so often.
7 comments:
A lawnmower for snow - that's brilliant! Your skill in getting the snow to blow away from where you have already done is amazing!
I haven't seen one of those machines over here, but we could do with one.
What, in your experience, is the best sort of equipment for removing snow manually? Mr BW keeps mentioning those plastic snow shovels, but I am unconvinced they will stand up to the depths of snow we're getting here currently.
Although, thankfully, it will never be as cold as it is with you. Hopefully.
Also, do you use winter tyres or snow chains on your vehicles? We're coping with this snow by not going out at all, and pushing delivery vans out when they get stuck (if we don't, we're scared they won't come again!).
No snow tires or chains here. Almost all tires these days are all-season, so pretty good year-round. And most of the main roads get down to pavement pretty quick. They (wisely) don't use salt on the neighborhood roads anymore because of the lakes. (Of course, it won't get warm enough for salt to melt ice again for over a week yet, anyway!)
And I believe almost all snow shovels are plastic now, but the handle should be metal, wood or other strong composite. And some have a metal edge on the shovel blade. They can be back killers with wet snow, so I would recommend one with the ergonomic bend in the handle. Or if you mostly push the snow off then they have that kind, too. Shorter and wider shovels, like a small plow. We have one of each.
Yes, our seasons are more similar now than before, but I think our winters get a bit more harsh!
Very useful info, thanks!
I hadn't thought about the effect of salt on the environment/water courses. I also didn't know that it could be too cold for salt to melt ice. I've nearly used a 20kg bag of rock salt this year already. In the past a 1.5kg bag has sufficed for a winter.
A day without snow today... but more due overnight and for the next week.
You definitely win in the hard winter stakes.
Phew! That does look like a proper winter and that snow blower does the job.
I hadn't realised it could be too cold for salt but very wise to consider the environment and impact upon the water and wildlife.
Here it is cold but a positively balmy 5℃ currently compared to you and lots of rain.
Cool snow blower...am so glad we don't have need for such, pretty though snow is it so quickly gets a pain.
FWIW, Witchy on the two occasions I've used our plastic snow shovel it has accomplished the task admirably. Ours is one with a metal edge.
Also I bought it at the end of winter in Sainsbury's for I think £1.50.....beat that for value if you can. ;)
Hey guys! Win, BW? That's debatable. I'm curious as to what you decide to get. How are you removing snow now?
Right now it's 9ºF, the high for the day, and it isn't forecast to get any higher until next Sunday. I had to go into work this morning for a couple hours. All the main roads are mostly fine, but those side roads you really have to be careful and I spun my tires a few times.
I'm not crying 'woe is me' here, this is just all that's happened recently worth writing about. It's been worse before and it will get better soon.
Superbowl Sunday tomorrow. I don't really have a dog in the fight, but all day I will be enjoying the festive feeling, terrible-for-me game snacks and, of course, the game! Cheers!
Oh, and I've barely used any salt this year, just a bit between the back door and the garage. Out front we have so many dog walkers about and the salt is so bad for their paws that the last couple years it's only when absolutely necessary.
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