do you shovel while it is still snowing?

[lmh2402]

evolving from the confessions thread...i am still laying on the floor in the living room

DH just called me on the house phone. from his cell phone. while he is laying in bed. to ask if we are supposed to start shoveling

i don't know

i can see the merits in shoveling b/c i think this storm is supposed to bring some freezing rain/sleet at some point...so maybe it would be good to get things a bit clear before that happens?

but maybe it's just stupid to shovel when it's still snowing and i think it's supposed to be doing "stuff" (snow, sleet, whatever) all day

god, i miss living in a condo

so, do you do mid-"storm" cleaning/shoveling?

[scrooks]

Sometimes but it really depends. Last time we got a bad storm I watched the lady next door snow blow at about 10 am and by 5 pm you couldn't hardly tell she had done it. I wisely had not shoved yet....

With ice it's another story...how much accumulation are you supposed to get?

[lmintzer]

I just did our sidewalks and walkway (our of courtesy to the neighbors and the mail carrier). I figure I can still make it down the driveway, so I didn't bother with that. We're due for another inch or so today and then 5-8 tonight (in Philly).

[BabbyO]

Here are my rules....it is almost always easier to shovel 2" of snow than 4" or more. This is ESPECIALLY true if it is wet, heavy snow. So, yes, I frequently shovel mid-storm. (If you have a snow blower, disregard...it can handle more snow)

However, if you are supposed to get freezing rain after snow, I wait to shovel. The freezing rain will make a "crust" on top of the snow instead of making your driveway/walks super icy and slippery. You remove both when you shovel after the freezing rain.

Well, that's my 2 cents anyway. DH thinks I'm nuts...but I tell him he can't say anything since I shovel WAY more often than he does!

[egoldber]

If it is going to be a lot of snow (more than say, 4"), especially wet heavy snow, you bet you should shovel more than once. It is much easier to shovel 3 or 4 inches of snow than 8+!

[lizzywednesday]

Yes, DH will shovel during the storm to discourage ice in a melt-freeze cycle, like this storm is supposed to have (we are also in the Philly-ish area.)

If you have a push type shovel (does not have a handle at the end of the stick, blade of the shovel is curved, not flat) you could take it out & scrape the walk & driveway because the slushy stuff is what'll freeze fastest and snowblowers & thrower shovels (flat ones with handles at the end of the sticks) are useless because of the extra weight of the wetter stuff.

Today, however, we're enjoying hibernating.

[crl]

Not only is it easier to shovel a couple of inches at a time, but it is way easier to shovel before people walk all over it packing down. So, yes, I used to shovel while it was snowing, when I lived where there was snow.

Catherine

[ellies mom]

Not snow, but when we have freezing rains, I will go out and remove the ice off my car mid-storm because it is way easier to chip through 1/4" of ice than 1/2" of ice, especially if I'm going to have to be someplace.

[boolady]

Originally Posted by egoldber

If it is going to be a lot of snow (more than say, 4"), especially wet heavy snow, you bet you should shovel more than once. It is much easier to shovel 3 or 4 inches of snow than 8+!

[Indianamom2]

I used to be a "Wait until it's done" shoveler, but I've converted. It is easier to shovel a smaller amount of snow at a time, even if you have to do it a couple of times. You can almost just push it out of the way.

Of course, around here this winter, if I didn't shovel while it was still snowing, I'd never shovel, because it will not stop snowing!